Man killed 35 people because he was ‘unhappy with divorce settlement’

A man has been sentenced to death after killing 35 people by driving a car into a crowd.

Fan Weiqiu went on the murderous spree because he was unhappy with his divorce settlement, a court in the southern city of Zhuhai, China, heard on Friday.

The victims were exercising at a sports centre when he attacked them last month. After ploughing through the crowd, he attempted to ‘stab himself’ with a knife.

Fan pleaded guilty to endangering public safety by dangerous means.

The court heard his ‘criminal motive was extremely despicable, the nature of the crime was extremely vile, the means of the crime were particularly cruel, and the consequences of the crime were particularly severe, resulting in great social harm’.

His sentence was the second one handed down in quick succession just weeks after the attack.

A court earlier this week gave a suspended death sentence with a two-year reprieve to a driver who injured 30 people when he drove into elementary school students and parents in Hunan province.

Such sentences are usually commuted to life in prison.

Chinese authorities keep a tight lid on any reports about the attacks, censoring videos and eyewitness accounts posted on social media and releasing only basic information, often many hours afterwards.

The death toll in Zhuhai was not announced until 24 hours after the attack. In addition to the 35 people killed, another 43 were injured, police said.

In the days after the attack, Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered local governments to take steps to prevent future ‘extreme cases’.

This prompted vows from local leaders to examine personal disputes that could trigger aggression, from marital troubles to disagreements over inheritance.

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