Villager desecrates grave, ordered to pay

Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court ordered a man in Jinshan district to pay 9,066 yuan ($1,452) in compensation for taking a hammer to the tombstone of a fellow villager's ancestor, the court said Tuesday.

The 30-year-old defendant, who was not identified, destroyed the tombstone following a dispute with the plaintiff over its placement in the village, according to a press release.

The defendant was upset that the plaintiff had relocated his ancestor's grave so close to the final resting place of his own ancestor.

The court ruled that the defendant's actions violated the rights of the plaintiff, who was entitled to 4,000 yuan in restitution to repair the tombstone.

The court also ordered the defendant to pay another 5,000 yuan to compensate the plaintiff for the emotional distress he suffered from the tombstone's destruction.