FIVE suspects pleaded guilty to shooting to death the owner of a bottled LPG station in Bao an at a court hearing yesterday.
Five major suspects, including Jiang Qingru, the manager of another LPG station in Shajing, appeared at the Shenzhen Intermediate People s Court on charges of homicide and four others for helping the major suspects escape.
Prosecutors said Jiang Qingru had been involved in a business dispute with the victim Jiang Zhaonan, the manager of a bottled LPG station also in Shajing in Bao an District.
Jiang Zhaonan was shot dead in the street after a friend s wedding banquet Sept. 27, 2009.
Prosecutors said Jiang Qingru s station was attacked by several unidentified men several days before Sept. 27, and Jiang Qingru suspected that Jiang Zhaonan was behind the attack.
He hired three men to take revenge after a discussion with his business partner Wang Yasheng, another suspect.
The five suspects followed Jiang Zhaonan in two cars and at the intersection of Beihuan Road and Bao an Boulevard in Shajing, they launched an attack.
Two suspects Li Shurong and Liao Jiachun hacked at Jiang with long knives and attempted to pull him out of his car. Another suspect Xia Pingbo allegedly shot Zhang and fled with Jiang Qingsheng and the others.
Jiang Zhaonan was confirmed dead in hospital. A passenger in the car was slightly injured, prosecutors said.
The five suspects fled to Huazhou, Guangdong and Wuzhou in Guangxi.
In court, the five men said they had not wanted to kill Jiang, but just give him a lesson.
Xia said he accidentally shot Jiang as he attempted to grab his gun. Jiang Qingru give Wang 10,000 yuan (US$1,471) after the incident, and Wang gave the other three suspects 5,000 yuan.
The victim Jiang Zhaonan, 39, owned a wholesale shop and a 10-story building in Shajing.
According to his widow, identified as Luo, who was in the back seat during the attack, they were waiting for a green light when the three men came from behind and surrounded the car.
They smashed the windows and hacked with 1-meter-long knives, Luo said.
Jiang was injured in the arm and shoulder before he was shot dead.
No one approached to help after the incident and Jiang died 10 minutes after he was admitted to hospital. (Han Ximin)
