A St. Paul man was sentenced to 16 ½ years in prison for participating in the kicking death of another man in March.

Peter L. John, 50, was convicted by jurors in September of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the death of Joseph M. Saros.

According to the criminal complaint: John and two other men were drinking in the 700 block of E. 3rd Street late on March 10 when Saros, 43, arrived. One of the men told police that Saros said he had had sex with their mothers and was going to have sex with their sisters.

The witness told police that John assaulted Saros, who was knocked out. A second man, who has not been charged in the case, joined the attack.

"They kept kicking him in the head … beating the living [expletive] out of him," the witness told police.

The witness told police that he fell asleep. When he awoke, the witness said, Saros was on the floor with "blood everywhere."

Saros was pronounced dead at the scene about 1:25 a.m. on March 11. He suffered two fractured ribs and fractured thyroid cartilage.

CHAO XIONG