The Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Hunan Province maintains the prison terms of 11 years, 6 years, 4 years, and 3 and a half years, for four city management officers Liao Weichang, Yuan Cheng, Luo Weiping and Xia Jiyu on May 15. [Photo/IC]

CHANGSHA - A central China court on Thursday upheld prison terms of up to 11 years for four city management officers who beat up a fruit vendor last year, which led to his death.

The Chenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Hunan Province maintained the prison terms of 11 years, 6 years, 4 years, and 3 and a half years, for Liao Weichang, Yuan Cheng, Luo Weiping and Xia Jiyu.

The city management officers (chengguan) had a fight with watermelon vendor Deng Zhengjia, 56, in July last year when he and his wife were moved on. The court heard that Deng defended himself with his weighing balance, which angered the officers who then beat him up, causing an intracranial hemorrhage and his death on the spot.

Deng's death ignited a fresh round of criticism on the unchecked violence of chengguan in their work to disperse street vendors. Chengguan officers are said to exercise their duty rudely and instigate violence when vendors refuse to obey their orders.

The four officers appealed after the first trial in December last year. The Chenzhou court rejected the appeals, explaining the sentences have already been given with leniency taking consideration of the fact that they voluntarily confessed their crimes.

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