Man throws woman from 19th floor of China apartment block in fit of jealousy

[Update, Nov 9, 2017]: The man who threw his unrequited crush down an apartment block in a fit of jealousy has been handed a death sentence by a court in China. 

Due to the heinous nature of the crime, the suspect's admission of guilt was not enough to get him a lighter sentence, Chinese news media reported.

According to Sina, the victim's mother fainted in court after the verdict was announced. Her nephew told news media that the sentence was what she had hoped for.

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A man's unrequited eight-year crush on a high school mate took a tragic turn earlier this year, after he threw the 26-year-old woman down an apartment block in a fit of jealousy, resulting in her death.

The incident took place in Hangzhou, China, on March 21, but the details behind the horrifying act were recently disclosed in court on Aug 23.

The court heard that the man, surnamed Xue, had been high school mates with the woman, Shanshan (not her real name).

Xue told the court that he had pursued Shanshan for eight years after graduating from high school in 2009. He was continually rejected by her, but did not give up.

The pair kept in touch online and over chat messaging, even after he went overseas for further studies in 2015 and she moved to Hangzhou from Henan for work.

Chinese media reports describe Xue as one of China's "rich second generation" who come from well-to-do families.

After returning home in February this year, he not only moved to Hangzhou to be in the same city as Shanhan, but managed to 'beg' her to take him in as a flatmate after one of her flatmates moved out.

Xue added that he had done a lot for Shanshan, including buying gifts like branded bags and jewellery for her amounting to 30,000 to 40,000 yuan (S$6,000 to S$8,000). He also claimed to have taken her on two holidays.

However their relationship deteriorated after he moved in to the apartment.

Xue told the court that the day before the tragedy, he had overheard the woman talking lovingly over the phone with another man. He also heard her badmouthing him to the unidentified man, which angered him.

The next morning, Xue barged into her room to confront her about the conversation, locking the door from the inside.

Their flatmate claimed she heard Shanshan's screams, but was unable to open her bedroom door. She described how when she asked Xue "where's Shanshan" after he came out of the room, he simply replied: "I pushed her down".

candicec@sph.com.sg