BEIJING, Mar 22: The girlfriend of China’s alleged serial homicidal thief Zhou Kehua, was today sentenced to five years in jail by a Chinese court for harbouring and assisting him.
The Chongqing Shapingba District People’s Court in southwest China convicted Zhang Guiying, 22, for harbouring a criminal and concealing income from crime.
She was also fined 10,000 yuan (about USD 1,600).
Investigation showed that Zhang helped and harboured Zhou after she learned his identity and that his income came from crime, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the judgement as saying.
Zhang met Zhou Kehua, a fugitive who had allegedly shot 10 people dead, in April 2012. Shortly afterward, she began living with him and knew that he possessed guns. She also opened bank accounts for him and provided him with information and make-up tools which helped him to hide his identity.
On August 10, 2012, Zhou allegedly killed one person during a robbery at a bank gate in Shapingba and handed 60,000 yuan in stolen money to Zhang, the same day. Zhang is then thought to have put the money into different bank accounts.
The couple contacted each other via text messages and phone calls from July 1 to August 13, the court said.
It added that Zhang also collected information on the police search for Zhou and kept him up to date via text messages and phone calls.
On August 11, Zhang also gave Zhou a tube of red lipstick, which he used to disguise himself when police launched a nationwide manhunt for him.
On August 14, 2012, Zhou was gunned down by the police in Shapingba District in Chongqing. Zhang was soon captured in a rented house in the same district.
Zhang was sentenced to the combined punishment for several crimes, of abetting a criminal and concealing and hiding illicit money. (PTI)
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