Society

Student stands trial for murder

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-23 20:56

XI'AN - A university student went on trial Wednesday for murdering a young mother after accidentally running into her with his car last year, said court officials in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Yao Jiaxin, a 21-year-old student at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music, knocked down cyclist Zhang Miao while driving his Chevrolet Cruze at around 11 pm on October 20.

When Yao saw Zhang staring at him and his number plate, he stabbed her to death, police said.

The Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an heard the case Wednesday. The court session began at 9:45 am and lasted more than three hours.

Family members of Zhang, the victim, demanded the death penalty for Yao and 536,000 yuan (about $81,686) in compensation from his parents.

During the trial, Yao's lawyer pleaded for leniency, saying Yao had "surrendered himself to police and depression was to blame, to some extent, for the killing."

But the lawyer's plea was dismissed by prosecutors, saying Yao did not deserve leniency as he had fled the scene and failed to confess to murder until three days later.

Court authorities said a ruling would be announced at a later date.

Yao fled the scene after stabbing the victim eight times with a knife, and in a hurry to drive away, he injured two other passersby, a man and a woman, police said.

He was caught by police on October 22 and was detained the following day, when Yao allegedly admitted to killing the woman because he feared the "peasant woman would be hard to deal with."

On the night of her death, Zhang, 26, the mother of a 2-year-old boy, was returning home from her temporary job as a canteen assistant at Northwest University's Chang'an Branch.

Police said she suffered only slight injuries from the traffic accident, including a fracture to her left leg.

Sources close to the victim's family said Zhang's father had turned down 30,000 yuan in compensation from Yao's parents.

Zhang's husband Wang Hui also refused to accept an apology from Yao's family, saying he would do all he could to ensure the killer was brought to justice.

The case has aroused widespread public fury and suspicion over whether Yao's parents might use their connections to bribe authorities into letting him off with a lighter offence.

Wednesday's court hearing was listened to by journalists from more than 60 Chinese media organizations and at least 400 students from two Xi'an based universities, including Xi'an Conservatory of Music and Northwest University of Politics and Law.

Sources close to Yao described him as talented and taciturn.

A neighbor living next to his parents' apartment in downtown Xi'an said Yao played the piano well and tutored young learners in his spare time -- which was why his parents spent more than 100,000 yuan to buy him a car last year.

Yao's teacher and classmates said he was a good student, but never talked much. "He never stayed at the school dorm, so I know very little about him," said one classmate.