Chinese man pays ‘hitman’ 70,000 yuan to murder him – then changes his mind after being stabbed a dozen times
A young Chinese man confined to a wheelchair after a car accident offered someone 70,000 yuan (HK$84,000) to kill him, only to change his mind after he was stabbed more than a dozen times, mainland media reports.
The unnamed victim from Zhengzhou in Henan province, cried out for help after he was attacked with a fruit knife and his assailant fled the scene, the Zhengzhou Evening News reported.
The victim fell unconscious after being stabbed more than a dozen times in the stomach last October and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
Zhengzhou police, who revealed details of the case on Tuesday, said they had since arrested and charged the man hired to carry out the attack with attempted murder.
The suspect and victim, who are both in their 20s, first made contact using an internet chatroom, the report said.
The victim, who was left in a wheelchair following a car accident several years ago, became depressed and wanted to end his life and so offered the suspect 70,000 yuan to kill him.
The two men agreed to meet at a hostel last October, where the suspect stabbed the victim in the stomach with a fruit knife more than a dozen times.
However, the victim could not tolerate the pain and started to call out for help, which led the assailant to run off.
Staff at the hostel discovered the victim lying on a bed with the knife discarded on floor. He was then rushed to hospital.
Police checked the footage of more than 180 surveillance cameras in and around the area and identified a suspect in the case. He was arrested a month later in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province.
