Court rejects bid for new psychiatric exam A Shanghai court yesterday rejected the death-sentence appeal of police killer Yang Jia , the unemployed Beijing man who has won sympathy from some people even though he stabbed six officers to death in a rampage in July. The case will now go to China's highest court for review, as is customary for death sentences, his lawyer said. After a one-day session to hear arguments on October 13, the Shanghai Higher People's Court upheld the original sentence for murder handed down last month. 'The facts are clear, the evidence is certainly ample, the designated crime is accurate, the measure of punishment is appropriate, and the trial procedures are legal,' Judge Xu Wei said. 'The court maintains the original sentence as the final judgment.' Yang, 28, showed little emotion as the judge read out the decision. Dressed in black trousers and a blue polo shirt, he was led out of the packed courtroom by police, who grasped his arms. In an attack that shocked the nation, Yang forced his way into Shanghai's Zhabei district police station after throwing a homemade bomb and stabbing a security guard. He then stabbed nine police officers on several floors. His lawyer, Zhai Jian , expressed disappointment the court had rejected his call for another psychiatric evaluation. Some legal experts had questioned the validity of the original assessment, which was ordered by Shanghai police and conducted by a local institution. 'I regret the court did not accept my request for another psychiatric assessment. I don't think their viewpoint on the rejection was convincing,' he said. Mr Zhai said he did not know how long the review by the Supreme People's Court might take. Yang or his family will appoint other lawyers for the process. Prosecutors argued that Yang had carried out the attack as revenge. He was detained by police last October for riding an unlicensed bicycle, but later released. He claimed he had been beaten by police and made failed attempts for compensation. His father, who did not attend yesterday, said the ruling was expected. 'I think the result is normal because he killed people. I will follow the court's arrangements for the death-penalty review,' Yang Fusheng said. Yang Jia's divorced mother, who approved the controversial choice of his first lawyer, has not attended any of the court sessions. 'What I'm worried about now is that his mother is still missing, and I hope we can find her,' Yang Fusheng said. Yang Jia has won sympathy in some circles as a victim of alleged police brutality, though authorities denied he was beaten. At the one-day court session last week, hundreds of people gathered to show support, some protesting about mistreatment at the hands of authorities. Yesterday, police lined the sides of the street outside the courthouse and herded away potential protesters. Shanghai media have played down coverage of the trial and appeal after shows of support for Yang. Additional reporting by Lilian Zhang
