Shanghai Daily | 上海日报 -- English Window to China News

THREE urban management officials in Chongqing are on trial charged with beating a peddler to death in July.

The Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court heard the case yesterday but has not announced a verdict, the Chongqing Economic Times reported today.

Three defendants surnamed Zhou, Dai and Xiao confessed the crime to the court and apologized to the man's family. Their attorneys told the court the three defendants had already paid compensation to the victim's family and asked for a lenient sentence.

The court was told the three defendants and another official found the victim, surnamed Liu, selling snacks near Datianwan Stadium at noon of July 30 this year. Peddlers are not allowed in that area.

Three defendants and their colleague wanted to seize Liu's handcart but Liu would not let go. In the ensuing struggled, Zhou, Dai and Xiao threw the man to the ground and held him by the throat. Liu died in hospital later.

The court was told only two of the officials were wearing uniforms and the defendant Dai could not state which regulation Lu was meant to have broken.

Dai told the court he became an urban management official after being introduced by friends and was not trained before beginning work.

According to the defendants, Liu had threatened them with a knife which led to the fight. They said it was a matter of self defense and that they had not had time to call the police.

But the prosecutors did not accept this saying there was no evidence that Liu had a knife. Even if he had a knife they should not have assaulted him after removing the weapon ?that constituted a form of revenge.

Of the three, only Dai gave himself up to the police. Zhou said he had not run away but called the police twice. The court said this was not giving ones self up.

The dead man was 37 and sold snacks around the stadium.