Bulgaria's highest court has upheld the 20-year prison sentence for Australian Paul “Jock” Palfreeman, who was convicted of fatally stabbing one man and wounding another in December, 2009.

The Associated Press reported the 24-year-old Palfreeman appealed the Sofia City Court conviction, arguing that he had acted in self defense while intervening to prevent an attack by the two Bulgarian men on a group of Roma .

His appeal to the Sofia Appeals Court was denied in February and his 20-year sentence upheld.

That ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court of Cassation, which upheld the sentence again. The court's decision cannot be appealed.