New Delhi, Sep 1 - Anand Jon deserves a fair trial, say shocked colleagues of the Indian-born designer who has been sentenced by a Los Angeles court to 59 years in prison for sexually assaulting young women.

The fashion fraternity that had last month come out in full support of the US-based fashion designer received the news of his sentencing Monday with disbelief and disappointment.

Top designer Leena Singh of designer duo Ashima-Leena summed up the general feeling when she said that all she wanted from the trial was that no questions should be left unanswered - which perhaps had not happened in this case.

'It's the fundamental right of every individual to get a fair trial. All I wanted was that Jon should get a fair trial and there should be no unanswered questions left, either for his family or friends,' Leena told IANS on the phone from Kuwait, where she is showcasing her works.

Jon, who dressed celebrities like Janet Jackson and Paris Hilton and who appeared on the reality television show 'America's Next Top Model', was arrested in the US in 2007 on charges of raping more than a dozen models. On Nov 16, he was convicted of 16 charges, including rape and sexual assault.

Acting as his own attorney, Jon presented a lengthy argument in the court and urged a new trial, citing the inadequate defence by his former attorneys. On Monday, Judge David Wesley denied his motion and handed down the hefty sentence while Jon's victims wept in the jury box.

Wesley sentenced the designer to the maximum sentence for all but two of those counts, saying he had showed no remorse for his actions and posed a danger to other young women.

Commenting on the verdict, designer Charu Parashar said: 'It is a very sad day for Anand's family, especially his sister, who has been fighting this lonely battle for years now. Fifty-nine years is a long period and for someone to be sentenced for such a long duration is a horrifying thought in itself.