Beijing: Two Chinese who carried out
violent attacks in China, including one who killed eight
people, were awarded death sentences by courts on Friday.
Zhou Yezhong, 36, accused of stabbing eight people,
including three of his family members to death in April this
year, was sentenced to death at a court in east China`s
Jiangxi Province, a court spokesman said.
Zhou was charged with and convicted of wilful murder
in the first-instance trial by the Intermediary People`s Court
of Ji`an City of Jiangxi Province, said Long Xiaomao, a
spokesman of the court.
In a fit of rage Zhou, a gambling addict, killed his
mother, wife, 10-year-old daughter, four neighbours and one
migrant worker with a knife in Badu Township of Ji`an`s Jishui
County on May 8.
He reportedly had a fight with his wife before he
indulged in the horrible violence.
Zhou sentence came on the day when Chen Kangbing, a
school teacher, was awarded death sentence by first-instance
trial at the Intermediary People`s Court of Zhanjiang city in
Guangdong province today for injuring 16 children and a tutor
in a knife attack.
Though all his victims survived the attack, Chen was
charged with and convicted of "murder".
"Chen hacked the children and teacher in a very cruel
manner, causing great harm," the verdict said.
Chen in his 40s, barged into Leicheng No.1 primary
school in Leizhou city with a 40-cm knife and attacked
children on the fifth and sixth floors of the building on
April 28.
He pleaded guilty to the charges against him. It is
not immediately known whether he will make an appeal.
With the today?s death sentences those who have been
sentenced to death for violent attacks in the recent weeks has
gone up to four.
Two others, who carried out `social revenge` attacks
on school children, were executed by firing squads after they
were sentenced to death by courts earlier.
Separately, two attackers committed suicide after the
incidents.
In the wake of a spate of attacks on school children
carried out by angry and frustrated men, provincial
governments in China have launched stringent security
measures.
Eighteen people, mostly school children, have been
killed and 100 others injured in seven such attacks since
March this year.
PTI
