A culture department official who suspected his mistress had been unfaithful and hired a hitman to kill her has been convicted of murder, reports Yangcheng Evening News.

Liu Shuhai, the former deputy director of the culture department of Longhua Town in Shenzhen, was known for his "warm-heartedness" when young women asked favours of him.

He met the job-hunting Zhang, a wife and mother, in 1992. With Liu's assistance, both Zhang and her brother eventually found employment. Liu also "lent" Zhang 100,000 yuan (US$12,000) to invest in the stock market.

Liu's help was rewarded with sex. But Liu felt the woman's love for him growing cold five years after their illicit relationship began.

In December 1999, he took Zhang to a wooded park in Conghua where Zhou Guanglin, a hitman he hired, was waiting.

Zhou strangled Zhang in front Liu.

Both Zhou and Liu were later caught. Zhou received the death penalty, while Liu was sentenced to death with reprieve because he confessed.

The "death with reprieve" sentence in China is mitigated to life imprisonment in most cases.

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