CHINA: COURT REJECTS DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL OF POLICEMAN WHO SHOT PREGNANT WOMAN DEAD, INJURED HUSBAND

A court rejected the appeal of a former policeman who was given a death sentence for shooting a pregnant woman dead in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The Higher People's Court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region upheld the verdict handed down to Hu Ping, who was sentenced to death for intentional homicide at his first trial in February.
Guigang Intermediate People's Court heard the case publicly on Feb. 13. Hu was also ordered to pay 73,324 yuan (12,091 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the victim's family at the first trial.
A police investigation found that Hu, 34, was drunk when he shot the woman and her husband, who ran a rice noodle restaurant, on Oct. 28 in Pingnan County.
The husband, Cai Shiyong, sustained minor injuries to his right shoulder. His wife, Wu Ying, and their unborn child died after being shot twice by Hu.
In his defense during the the appeal hearing held on April 1, Hu denied that he shot three times as prosecutors alleged. He also argued the firearm residue on Cai's sleeve proved he had tried to grab the gun, which caused it to discharge accidentally.
The Higher People's Court denied his arguments as several witnesses testified that Cai had not attempted to grab the gun until after his wife had been shot.