A man who attacked a couple with a hammer over a lease dispute has been jailed for eight years by Jing'an District People's Court.
Li Guangbing, 41, was also ordered to pay more than 60,000 yuan (US$8,929) in compensation, including medical treatment for head injuries the pair sustained in the attack.
Prosecutors told the court there had been a disagreement over a contract with the sister of one of the victims, Lu Xiangqin. Lu got involved as she had asked Li for money several times on behalf of her sister.
On October 13 last year, Li, armed with a hammer and a knife, followed Lu and her husband. He also had gasoline and lime powder in his bag. As the couple walked near the junction of Zhongshan Road N. and Baochang Road, Li hit both of them on the head with the hammer, causing depressed skull fractures.
Li fled the scene but later surrendered himself to police, telling officers he had killed two people.
He said he had planned to kill the family of Lu's sister but hadn’t been able to track them down after a year so decided to kill Lu. He said he had followed Lu for a long time and on the day of the attack when he saw her out with her husband, he made up his mind to kill them both. Li said he’d also considered setting fire on Lu's house or stabbing her. But, he told police, he found it much easier to use the hammer.
At Thursday's hearing, Li said he had not intended to kill the couple but just wanted to hurt them. He told judges he controlled his strength to make sure the couple wouldn't be killed.
However, chief judge Gong Wen said the couple’s injuries indicated heavy, not controlled blows.
A single purchase
