A Cairo court on Thursday sentenced to 15 years in jail an Egyptian police officer for shooting of a young mother at a protest in central Cairo earlier this year, in the first and toughest such sentence against a policeman over killing protesters since the 2011 uprising.

Shaimaa El-Sabbagh, 32, was shot in January as police dispersed a peaceful march of leftists marking the fourth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that overthrew long-time autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

The protesters were planning to place a wreath at the nearby iconic Tahrir Square to commemorate the killing of demonstrators during the revolt.

The police officer, First Lieutenant Yaseen Mohamed Hatem, faced charges of action that "led to the death" of Sabbagh -- a lesser charge than murder, as well as "deliberately wounding" other protesters.

The sentence can still be appealed before the country's highest appeal court.

In a statement that referred the defendant to trial in March, the public prosecutor said that El-Sabbagh was killed by an officer who fired birdshot to try to break up the protest.

Critics say that Egypt's police has increasingly returned to the brutality prevalent under Mubarak and acts with impunity, accusations that the interior ministry denies.

El-Sabbagh's death sparked public anger earlier this year, after photos of her bleeding to death circulated online.

In response to the outcry, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had referred to her as "my daughter" and "the daughter of Egypt", and vowed to bring her killers to justice.

Dozens of policeman tried for the killing of protesters after the revolt against Mubarak have been acquitted, including the former leader's interior minister and other aides.

But the ex-president is due to stand trial over the deaths of hundreds of protesters in November, after an Egyptian appeal court earlier this month overturned a decision to drop the murder case against him.

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