The Cangzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for murdering his wife in Mengcun Hui autonomous county of Cangzhou, Hebei province, and sentenced his mother to a prison term for helping cover up the crime, according to a report by China Central Television.

The court handed down the first-instance verdict to Jin Hao, 26, depriving him of political rights for life. His mother, Zhang Jie, 48, was given two years and two months in prison for destroying evidence.

On Aug 22, local police responded to a report of a crime at a residential community in Mengcun Hui autonomous county. The 25-year-old victim, surnamed Liu, was found dead. Her husband and his mother were detained shortly after.

A forensic examination showed Liu died of severe blunt force trauma to the head, according to a statement released by the county's public security bureau on Aug 24.