The high people's court in east China's Shandong Province on Friday overturned a life imprisonment sentence imposed by a lower court against a man, after a review held his case had a nature of defense.
The high court handed down the second-instance verdict to Yu Huan, 22, to a five-year jail term on a charge of intended injuries as he stabbed a debt collector to death in defense, and injured three others, two seriously.
Yu was sentenced to life imprisonment on Feb. 17, 2017 by the Intermediate People's Court of Liaocheng City. The sentence ignited public anger, as the four loan sharks had allegedly sexually assaulted Yu's mother, and police apparently failed to intervene upon arriving at the site.
The high court confirmed the fact that the debt collectors insulted Su Yinxia, Yu's mother, by abusive languages and flicking cigarette ash on her. One of them exposed his genitals before her.
Yu attacked them with a knife when they prevented Yu and his mother from leaving the site with the police.
The high court ruled that Yu acted in defense but exceeded necessary limit with serious results, committing intended injuries.
