A group of Chinese hitmen have been jailed following an aborted assassination attempt.
A Chinese businessman, Tan Youhui hired a hitman to eliminate a rival for $282,000 (£218,000). A BBC report says:
But the hitman hired another man to do the job, offering $141,000. That man hired another hitman, who hired another hitman, who hired another hitman.
The plan crumbled when the final hitman met the man, named only as Wei, in a cafe and proposed faking his death.
All six men – the five hitmen and Tan – were convicted of attempted murder by the court in Nanning, Guangxi, following a trial that lasted three years.
The case went on trial in 2016 for the first time, but all the six defendants were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
However, prosecutors appealed against the decision, and the second trial, which resulted in the conviction of the defendants, lasted three years.
The sentences ranged from five years to two years and seven months.