The father of Yang Jia, the man who killed six police officers and was sentenced to death yesterday, will lodge an appeal with a higher court, Chinanews.com reported today.

Yang did not appeal the sentence at the court, but Xiong Liesuo, a lawyer engaged by the father to defend his son, said he would appeal on behalf of Yang. He declined to comment on the verdict.

Yang, a 28-year-old Beijing native, was sentenced to death by the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court yesterday. The accused went on a stabbing spree in Zhabei District Public Security Bureau on July 1, leaving six city policemen dead and another four injured. The court said revenge was the motive for the attack.

The court said last October Yang had been arrested by Zhabei police who thought he had stolen a bicycle. Yang was released when officers discovered he had rented the bike. When his demands for 10,000 yuan (US$1,465) compensation for the wrongful treatment were not met, the man decided to take revenge, prosecutors told the court.

"Yang's father has suffered a lot during this case. He thought he was duty bound to find a lawyer for the son. He asked me to tell Yang that he should confess his crimes based on facts," Xiong said.

Yang was defended by Xie Youming and Xie Jin of the Shanghai Mingjiang Law Firm his mother engaged. He rejected the lawyer his father hired.

(Shanghai Daily September 2, 2008)