The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced a senior Aum Shinrikyo disciple to death for his role in the production of sarin that was used in two deadly nerve gas attacks

Masami Tsuchiya, 39, became the 11th Aum member to receive the death penalty.

He was the last remaining follower of Aum founder Shoko Asahara still being tried before the district court. The court will hand down its ruling on Asahara on Feb. 27.

The court ruled that Tsuchiya conspired with Asahara and other senior cultists to carry out two sarin attacks and three VX gas attacks, and was involved in the illegal production of the hallucinogen PCP.

Presiding Judge Satoru Hattori said: "The defendant, following Asahara's instructions, made all the chemical weapons used in the attacks. We must say that the cult's crimes using chemical weapons would not have occurred without the accused. In that sense, he was at the center of the crimes."

The judge said Tsuchiya deserves to die due to the cruelty of the two sarin attacks, which killed a combined 19 people in an indiscriminate manner.

Tsuchiya showed no emotion as the sentence was read out.

The judge said that Tsuchiya repeatedly heard the plight of the victims' relatives in the courtroom but showed no sign of remorse, and angered the next of kin by maintaining his allegiance to Asahara.

He also occasionally used abusive language toward prosecutors and the gallery, the judge pointed out.

Tsuchiya, who focused on the court gallery during the trial as if looking for someone, wore a purple shirt, pants and socks -- a color that the cult had said was "only permitted to (be worn by) those recognized as having reached the state of nirvana."

Tsuchiya stood accused on seven counts: the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack that killed 12 people; the June 1994 sarin attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, that killed seven; the three VX gas attacks, in 1994 and 1995, that killed one; production of PCP; and harboring Aum fugitives.

Although Tsuchiya's lawyers had argued that there was considerable doubt over whether the gas used in the attacks was actually made by Tsuchiya, the only charge he was acquitted of Friday was that of harboring fugitives, due to lack of evidence.

Like fellow cultist Seiichi Endo, sentenced to death in October 2002, Tsuchiya was held responsible for producing poison gas and drugs at the cult's compounds without being physically involved in the murders.

He was originally also charged with illegal production of LSD, but this was dropped after prosecutors in Asahara's trial dropped four charges related to the production of illegal drugs.

Prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Tsuchiya in July.

They called him a "homicidal chemist who sold his soul to the devil."

Despite the seriousness of his charges, Tsuchiya's mind seemed to be elsewhere during the trial.

When his lawyer's gave their closing argument in September, he read out a 50-page report outlining his version of events.

Titled "The 13 formula for solving the Aum cases, Aum 13," inspired by his favorite comic book, "Golgo 13," the story explained how Tsuchiya learns that "Aum is totally innocent."

Since his trial opened in November 1995, when he described himself as a "direct disciple of the guru," Tsuchiya remained silent during most of his trial until officially entering an innocent plea last February.

But unlike most other cultists, who over the years moved to part with Asahara, Tsuchiya remains faithful to his leader.

When called as a witness to Asahara's trial in 2002, Tsuchiya, still calling him "sonshi," or honorable master, spoke of Asahara's greatness and how much he is admired by all members.

His trial proceedings were also protracted because he fired his lawyers twice.