China awaits verdict in Gu Kailai murder trial

China appears to be preparing the public for sparing from execution the wife of politician Bo Xilai who is accused of murdering a British man, a legal expert said yesterday, as a verdict is awaited in the politically-charged case.
Bo's wife Gu Kailai and an accomplice were tried on Thursday for poisoning Neil Heywood, allegedly after her son fell out with the businessman in a dispute over a land project.
In a lengthy and unusual report released through China's official Xinhua news agency on Friday, Gu admitted guilt and blamed her actions on a mental breakdown over fears Heywood had threatened her son.
The court heard Heywood had demanded 13 million pounds ($20 million), and sent Bo Guagua an email threatening "you will be destroyed", a source who attended the hearing, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
The verdict is expected to be delivered at a later date, possibly days or weeks away, and while murder carries the death penalty in China, experts say Gu is likely to be spared execution and will instead face a long jail term.
Li Xiaolin, a lawyer for another person accused in the case, Zhang Xiaojun, said the court in the eastern city of Hefei has not said when it might issue a ruling, but it could be within weeks.
Heywood's murder and allegations of a cover-up sparked the biggest political scandal in China for years and led to the downfall of Bo, who had been tipped to become one of the ruling Communist Party's top leaders.