A SHENZHEN man suffering from psychosis stood trial at Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court on Tuesday for killing his wife, who was eight-months pregnant, in 2015, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

The defendant, surnamed Xu, went out for a run at around 5 a.m. April 3, 2015. When he returned to his home in Guangming New Area, he strangled his wife, dragged her to the kitchen and stabbed her with a fruit knife multiple times. His wife was taken to a hospital after the neighbors called the police, but both the woman and her baby died.

Xu and his wife also had a 9-year-old daughter, who witnessed Xu killing her mother. The girl said that Xu also chased her after killing her mother, but that she was able to get away by running out of the apartment.

Xu couldn’t stop crying during the hearing in the court Tuesday. He has a family history of psychosis and was diagnosed by Shenzhen Kangning Hospital as being in a mental state of “morbid dysthymia” when he killed his wife, meaning his recognition and self-control abilities were partially weakened at the time. The hearing of the case continues. (Zhang Yang)