Related News

HomeMetro

Lawyers of student sentenced to death argue victim could have died from Hepatitis B

The lawyers of a former Fudan University student who killed his roommate with poison argued the victim could have died from hepatitis B during an appeal of his death sentence today in Shanghai.

Lin Shenhao’s lawyers also cast doubt on whether the liquid in a chemical bottle was the toxic chemical dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) because two urinalysis test reports had different results, Shanghai Higher People’s Court heard.

Lin confessed to putting DMN in a water dispenser as an April Fool’s joke to see Huang Yang’s response and argues he should be charged with intentional injury, not murder. Huang died of liver failure on April 16.

Lin’s lawyers said the bottle of DMN used by Lin could have contained something else since it had been in the lab for two years. They told the court that chemical reactions in the bottle could have changed it to a new substance.

His lawyers also said other medical students had keys to the lab where the bottle of DMN was taken from.

According to Lin’s lawyers, a urinalysis report by judicial authorities didn’t show DMN in Huang’s body. A police urinalysis detected DMN in the victim’s body.

They said the differing test results meant Huang could have died from various liver diseases such as Hepatitis B.

Prosecutors countered that tests on Huang's cup and the water dispenser all turned up traces of DMN. They said Lin's confession and his detailed admission of where he obtained the chemical proved the substance was DMN.

Prosecutors said the difference in the urinalysis reports was due to two different testing methods.

During the initial trial, forensic doctors told the court that DMN caused Huang’s liver failure and ruled out the possibility of hepatitis B.

The court has yet to announce a ruling on Lin’s appeal.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend