A Chinese court has sentenced the owner of an illegal coal mine who was convicted of murdering a newspaper reporter to life in prison at the first instance and ordered to pay 380,000 yuan (US$498,687) in compensation to the reporter's family, state media reported Thursday.

File photo shows the site of the murdering China Trade News reporter Lan Chengzhang in early 2007. [Xinhua]

The Linfen Intermediate People's Court in North China's coal-rich Province of Shanxi ruled Hou Zhenrun, who was charged with murdering China Trade News reporter Lan Chengzhang in early 2007, to serve a life sentence, the China News Agency reported.

Hou's accomplices, including Zheng Wenping, Wu Qiang, Ma Li and Li Zhihong as well as Gao Bo were sentenced to between 5 years -and 15 years in prison, while Zheng Gui was sentenced to one year in jail for harboring the suspects.

However, the report did not elaborate on whether the seven defendants would appeal against the rulings.

Lan's killing has even prompted the central government to probe into the incident.

Hou was one of many owners of an illegally-run coal mine in Shanxi Province, where work safety incidents overtake news headlines almost daily.

The court statement said Lan was regarded as a fake reporter because his journalist certificate did not have the approval seal from the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China, the only bureau authorized to issue journalist certificates.

Previous media reports said police confirmed that Lan intended to collect money from Hou in return for not making his illegal business public.

The details of what happened next were not clear, but Lan died of a severe brain injury a day after being punched by Hou and six others, read a court statement. Lan's colleague Chang Hanwen was slightly injured.

Extortion has been a rampant occurrence in coal rich provinces as private coal mines have become a target of a massive crackdown ordered by the central government to protect miners' lives and interests.

But fake journalist certificates, which are easy to obtain from roadside vendors, have raised the likeliness of extortion.

Lan's death has also raised concerns over the ethics of journalism and standards of professionalism.

Datong, the capital of Shanxi Province, has ordered a campaign to root out fake reporters after revelations of the killing.