China sentences man to death for driving into crowd

Beijing [China], December 28: A man who drove his car into a crowd at a stadium in the city of Zhuhai in November has been sentenced to death by a Chinese court.
Xinhua News Agency reported that on December 27, the Zhuhai Intermediate People's Court held a public trial for defendant Fan Weiqiu for driving a car into a crowd at a stadium in the southern city of Guangdong Province (China) in November.
Defendant Phan (62 years old) intentionally crashed his car into a group of people exercising outside the stadium on the evening of November 11, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others.
The perpetrator ran away and attempted to injure himself with a knife but was stopped by police and taken to hospital.
The court held that the defendant's actions were the result of a broken marriage and dissatisfaction with life and dissatisfaction with the decision to divide property upon divorce.
The court held that the defendant Phan's motive for committing the crime was extremely despicable, the nature of the crime was extremely vicious and the means were especially cruel, causing particularly serious consequences and affecting society . "Therefore, the defendant should be severely punished according to the law," the court declared, and handed down the death sentence for threatening public safety by dangerous means.
In addition, Mr. Phan was also deprived of all political rights for life.
Security has been stepped up in Guangdong following the incident, especially in crowded places. Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 12 described the attack as "extremely cruel", calling for all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanding severe punishment for the perpetrators.
The leader instructed local governments to learn from the incident and "strengthen prevention and control of risks from the beginning," according to the Global Times . Xi stressed timely resolution of conflicts and contradictions, preventing the recurrence of extreme incidents, and making every effort to ensure people's safety and social stability.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper