Captain of South Korean ferry disaster Lee Jun-Seok sentenced to 36 years Captain Lee Jun-Seok, 69, guilty of negligence, but was acquitted of murder Three other senior crew members sentenced to jail terms of 15 to 20 years Families of victims react furiously in court, shouting: 'Where is the justice?' They had sought death penalty but judges say no proof they intended to kill Sewol ferry sank in April killing 304, including 250 pupils from same school The captain of the South Korean ferry that sank in April with the loss of more than 300 lives was jailed today for 36 years, but avoided the death penalty after being acquitted of murder. In a ruling that followed five months of dramatic, often painful testimony, a three-judge court said prosecutors failed to prove Captain Lee Jun-Seok, 69, had acted with an intention to kill. However, he was convicted of gross negligence and dereliction of duty, including abandoning his vessel while hundreds of passengers - most of them schoolchildren - remained trapped on board. Relatives who were present in the courtroom in the southern city of Gwangju reacted furiously to the murder acquittal. 'Where is the justice?' one woman shouted at the judges, while others wept openly. Negligent: Lee Jun-Seok, the captain of the South Korea ferry that capsized killing 300 people including 250 pupils from the same school, has been sentenced to 36 years in prison, but acquitted of murder Guilty: Lee was convicted of gross negligence and dereliction of duty, including abandoning his vessel while hundreds of passengers - most of them schoolchildren - remained trapped on board Sentenced: Lee (second left in front row) sits in court with other senior members of the Sewol ferry who were given jail terms of between 15 and 30 years, but also found not guilty of murder Emotional case: In a ruling that followed five months of dramatic, often painful testimony, a three-judge court said prosecutors failed to prove that Captain Lee Jun-Seok, 69, had acted with an intention to kill 'It's not fair. What about the lives of our children? They (the defendants) deserve worse than death,' screamed another. Three other senior crew members, who had also faced homicide charges, were sentenced to jail terms of between 15 and 30 years. Announcing the verdict, Judge Lim Joung-Youb said: 'We find it hard to conclude that the defendants... were aware that all of the victims would die because of their actions and they had an intention to kill them. Therefore the murder charges are not accepted. Doomed: The 6,825-tonne Sewol ferry was carrying 476 people on board when it capsized. Of the 304 who died, 250 were students from the same high school However, Lim stressed that if Lee and his crew acted properly as soon as the Sewol ran into trouble then many lives might have been saved. Lee and his crew were vilified in the wake of the April 16 disaster and, with emotions running sky high across the country over the loss of so many young lives, some legal experts had raised doubts over whether they would receive a fair trial. South Korean media coverage of their arrest and arraignment was often coloured by a presumption of guilt. Before the trial even began, President Park Geun-Hye publicly stated that the crew's actions had been 'tantamount to murder'. The approach of winter and the structural weakening of the vessel that has been under water for seven months in strong currents made it dangerous for divers to continue searching Just hours before the court gave its ruling, Maritime Minister Lee Ju-Young announced the end of the near seven-month search of the sunken vessel for missing bodies As well as abandoning the ship, Lee and his crew were condemned for instructing passengers to remain where they were as the vessel began to list dangerously. When the trial wrapped up late last month, Lee acknowledged that he had been paralysed by panic and failed to take 'appropriate measures' that could have saved lives. But he always strenuously denied having knowingly intended to sacrifice the lives of the passengers. The 6,825-tonne Sewol was carrying 476 people on board when it capsized. Of the 304 who died, 250 were students from the same high school. Just hours before the court gave its ruling, Maritime Minister Lee Ju-Young announced the end of the near seven-month search of the sunken vessel for missing bodies. 'The situation within the ship has become too difficult to continue,' Lee said, citing the collapsing interior and worsening sea conditions with the onset of winter. Two divers died in May during search efforts in an area known for rapid currents and poor underwater visibility. With nine victims still unaccounted for, and warnings that they may have been washed out to sea, Lee said he 'deeply regretted' that some families would be left with no body to mourn. The minister did not elaborate on when or whether the government plans to pull the ship out of water, saying the decision would be made after discussions with experts. The decision to end the search was agreed by the families of the nine passengers still missing Of the 304 confirmed dead or still listed as missing, 250 were school children