Verdict in Gu Kailai murder trial set for Monday
Trial of Bo Xilai's wife is expected to result in lighter penalty than normal for murder, lawyers say
The mainland authorities will announce the verdict in the murder trial of Gu Kailai , the wife of disgraced Politburo member Bo Xilai , on Monday morning, a court official confirmed yesterday.
"It's set for next Monday morning at 9 o'clock," a spokeswoman said by telephone from the Anhui Intermediate People's Court in Hefei , where the trial was held on August 9. She refused to give further details.
During the seven-hour trial last week, prosecutors said Gu fed poison to 41-year-old British businessman Neil Heywood in a Chongqing hotel room in November, assisted by a family aide, Zhang Xiaojun , Xinhua reported.
Gu and Zhang were charged with intentional homicide and they did not contest the charges.
The most severe sentence for murder is death, but lawyers expect a lighter penalty after mainland media reported that Heywood had threatened Gu's only son, Bo Guagua , and blamed her actions on a mental breakdown. "During those days last November, I suffered a mental breakdown after learning that my son was in jeopardy," Xinhua quoted Gu as telling the court.
Li Heping , a Beijing lawyer, said Gu would most likely receive a suspended death sentence or a life sentence. "The evidence is not important in this case but the politics is. The law is not making judgment, because Gu and her husband Bo are important political figures," Li said.