The unemployed Beijing man who killed six police officers and wounded four people at a Shanghai police station has been sentenced to death, exactly two months after the crime.
The Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court found Yang Jia, 28, guilty of premeditated murder, Xinhua and Shanghai media website Eastday said yesterday. He had confessed to the July 1 attack, which shocked the country.
The sentencing followed a half-day trial last Tuesday. Yang had been widely expected to get the death penalty, but legal experts have questioned the fairness of the trial.
Yang has the right to appeal against the sentence. The Supreme People's Court, the mainland's highest, reviews all death verdicts. Yang's chief lawyer, Xie Youming, could not be reached for comment.
Yang's father, Yang Fusheng, who did not attend the hearing, said he hoped his son would appeal and could provide legal assistance if he did. 'This [verdict] was predictable,' he said, but added: 'I can't stand a blow like this.'
Prosecutors said Yang had carried out the attack on the Zhabei district police station out of revenge after he was detained by police last October for riding an unlicensed bicycle. He was released and later requested compensation.
In July, he returned to the compound housing the police station. He started a fire at the gate with a homemade bomb and stabbed a security guard before forcing his way into the building.