(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-18 16:34

A man from East China's Anhui province was sentenced to death Monday by a Shanghai court for killing four people during two robberies.

Tian Long, 32, from Yingshang County, Anhui Province, was sentenced at the No 1 Intermediate People's Court of Shanghai City in a first-instance trial on Monday.

The court heard that on the afternoon of March 13, 2004, Tian, a former butcher, took a sharp knife and a pair of gloves to Zhuzhai Township in Minhang District and climbed into a house.

When Tian was discovered by the householder, identified only by her surname as Wang, he used the knife to threaten Wang and later killed her because she yelled for help.

Tian also killed Wang's parents who happened to arrive at the house as he was searching for valuables. He found 8,200 yuan (US$1,025) and fled.

Tian lived in a village in Wujin District of Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, where he became acquainted with a man surnamed Qian who lived alone.

On March 13, 2007, Tian took the knife and a pair of gloves and moved closer to Qian's home and began monitoring Qian's movements.

Tian followed Qian home after work at around 9:00 pm on March 15, and demanded money at knifepoint. However, Qian resisted and Tian killed him, taking 6,020 yuan (US$753), plus US$11 .

Tian then fled to Shanghai, but was arrested shortly after.

His criminal record showed he had been jailed for three years after a conviction at Wujin County Court, Jiangsu Province, of robbery in 1995.

The Shanghai court concluded that as an ex-convict, Tian had shown no willingness to reform and should be penalized with death.

Tian was also stripped of his political rights and all his property.

It is not immediately known whether Tian will appeal.