A university student charged with killing his teacher after the man allegedly had an affair with his girlfriend has been found to be mentally sound.

"The forensic psychiatrist from the police concluded that Fu Chengli did not suffer from mental health problems as they had earlier thought," Zhang Bo, the defendant's attorney, told China Daily yesterday.

Fu's trial started on Monday.

The 23-year-old student is accused of stabbing 47-year-old law professor Cheng Chunming with a kitchen knife twice in the neck in a classroom at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing on Oct 28 last year. Nineteen students said they witnessed the crime.

Fu turned himself to the police after the incident but claimed he had no regrets when arrested.

Based on their investigations, the police later said Fu might be mentally unsound.

"Fu's attitude remains unchanged," Zhang said. "As a law student, Fu clearly knows that he has no right to take anyone's life. He knows the consequences. I hope the court will impose a lenient sentence on Fu for turning himself in."

Fu faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.

Fu believed that married Cheng had an intimate relationship with his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Chen, a fellow student.

The couple's relationship ended after Chen met Fu.

However, Fu still blamed Cheng for Chen's breaking up with him. He believed the teacher had left Chen with too many bad memories, according to Beijing News.

Fu was strongly against the idea of a teacher having a relationship with a student.

He wanted the killing to be a warning to other teachers having affairs with their students as the school usually chose to look the other way.

(China Daily April 16, 2009)