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| Neil Heywood's relatives will not appeal Gu Kailai's suspended death sentence | Neil Heywood's relatives will not appeal Gu Kailai's suspended death sentence |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Relatives of British businessman Neil Heywood will not challenge Gu Kailai's suspended death sentence for his murder, a lawyer hired by the family said as the deadline for an appeal passed. | Relatives of British businessman Neil Heywood will not challenge Gu Kailai's suspended death sentence for his murder, a lawyer hired by the family said as the deadline for an appeal passed. |
| The wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai was spared execution at a hearing last week, with a court in Hefei instead handing her the suspended penalty. Many saw that as unusually lenient for premeditated murder: unless she commits another crime while in jail, it will be commuted to life imprisonment after two years. | |
| In China, crime victims and their families have five days to ask prosecutors to appeal against verdicts and sentences. Prosecutors then have another five days to take the matter to the court. | |
| But He Zhengsheng, a lawyer hired by relatives of Heywood to represent them, said on Thursday that they had not contacted him to dispute the decision. He told the Guardian the judgement would therefore take full effect on Friday morning. | But He Zhengsheng, a lawyer hired by relatives of Heywood to represent them, said on Thursday that they had not contacted him to dispute the decision. He told the Guardian the judgement would therefore take full effect on Friday morning. |
| The businessman's Chinese widow has not responded to reporters' queries and his family in Britain have chosen not to speak to the media. | |
| A spokesman for Hefei intermediate court said after Gu's hearing that the suspension of the death penalty reflected her regret, the fact she had given information about other people's crimes, and mental impairments she had suffered, which had weakened her self-control. | A spokesman for Hefei intermediate court said after Gu's hearing that the suspension of the death penalty reflected her regret, the fact she had given information about other people's crimes, and mental impairments she had suffered, which had weakened her self-control. |
| It also said she believed Heywood was a threat to her son, Bo Guagua, because he had made verbal threats to the young man. Friends of the dead man say they do not believe he would have done so and allege he was smeared to justify a lighter sentence. | It also said she believed Heywood was a threat to her son, Bo Guagua, because he had made verbal threats to the young man. Friends of the dead man say they do not believe he would have done so and allege he was smeared to justify a lighter sentence. |
| Experts say a commuted death sentence usually leads to between 14 and 24 years in prison, and that Gu could be freed on medical parole in as little as nine years. | Experts say a commuted death sentence usually leads to between 14 and 24 years in prison, and that Gu could be freed on medical parole in as little as nine years. |
| A family aide, Zhang Xiaojun, was jailed for nine years for the same crime. The court said his sentence was lightened because he was an accessory to the murder, not the instigator, and because he had confessed and shown remorse. | A family aide, Zhang Xiaojun, was jailed for nine years for the same crime. The court said his sentence was lightened because he was an accessory to the murder, not the instigator, and because he had confessed and shown remorse. |
| Lawyers for Gu, 53, and Zhang, 33, told the court during the hearing that they would not appeal against the judgement. Experts say there would be little point in them doing so in any case: the Communist party controls China's courts and such a sensitive decision would have been made at the highest level of the party. | Lawyers for Gu, 53, and Zhang, 33, told the court during the hearing that they would not appeal against the judgement. Experts say there would be little point in them doing so in any case: the Communist party controls China's courts and such a sensitive decision would have been made at the highest level of the party. |