Man sentenced to death for killing estranged wife before divorce

A man who stabbed his wife to death during the cooling-off period prior to divorce was sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Thursday.

Zhao Liuchao, the defendant, married the victim surnamed Zhou in 2011. They applied for divorce by agreement on July 7, 2023.

On the evening of July 20, 2023, during the 30-day cooling-off period before a divorce could be finalized, Zhou arranged to meet Zhao at the entrance to an industrial park in Guangzhou, where she was accompanied by six relatives and friends. When they met, Zhao attacked them with a sharp knife he was carrying, killing Zhou and injuring four others.

As Zhao exhibited a high degree of subjective malice, used cruel criminal methods, and caused serious consequences, he deserves severe punishment, the court said.

The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to death and deprived him of political rights for life, in accordance with the law.