A MAN went on trial at the Shenzhen Intermediate People s Court on Monday accused of killing a 41-year-old busker in Luohu District on March 14.
The suspect, Yao Haosheng, was charged with killing Zhong Yin and stabbing several other people after taking drugs.
The court said that Yao stabbed Zhong when he tried to save a man Zhuang Ziyun who was being held by Yao on Jianshe Road that night. Zhong died instantly and Yao was later caught by police and security guards when he tried to escape in a taxi.
In court, Yao admitted killing Zhong under the influence of drugs, saying he would do his best to compensate Zhong s family, but he denied killing him intentionally.
He said he would hand the compensation to the court Friday.
Yao told the court he had invited Zhuang to his apartment on Jianshe Road on the night of March 14 and both took drugs. I felt dizzy after taking the drugs and I don t know why I held Zhuang [captive] with two knives and we went downstairs. I saw a man coming at me and I did not know what he wanted, so I stabbed him, Yao said.
Yao said he could not remember stabbing several security guards as he tried to escape.
Yao s lawyer thought he was mentally unstable because of delusion caused by drugs. He thought Zhong was trying to hurt him, so he stabbed him. He should be given lenient punishment, Yao s lawyer said.
However, Zhong s lawyer said it was a ridiculous reason to call for leniency. If this is true, then all the people who commit crimes after taking drugs could receive lenient punishment, the lawyer said. Yao had no psychiatric history and was in a clear mind when he committed the crime, so he has to suffer heavy punishment.
The hearing continues.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
