WANGDU, Hebei - The son of a senior police officer was sentenced to six years in jail for killing a young woman while driving drunk, a case that triggered public outrage after reports that he invoked his father's name to avoid responsibility.

Li Qiming, 23, pled guilty to drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter, according to the people's court in Wangdu county of Hebei province, which released a statement on Sunday morning.

Li went on trial at the same court this past Wednesday and was charged with causing death through traffic offenses for a fatal road accident on Oct 16, 2010. The crash occurred at Hebei University in Baoding city of Hebei.

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One of the two girls hit by Li, Chen Xiaofeng, 20, died later in hospital. And the other, Zhang Jingjing, 20, suffered a fractured leg.

The court said that because Li Gang, Li's father, was deputy chief of the public security bureau in Baoding's Beishi district, where the accident happened, Li Qiming had to stand trial elsewhere to avoid the possibility of favoritism.

The prosecutors suggested a prison sentence of three to seven years for the young man, largely because he had tried to escape after killing the girl.

The court's statement said the verdict is "lenient" toward Li Qiming. The court said Li Qiming had shown remorse for his misdeed and had compensated the victims' families. Li paid 460,000 yuan ($69,880) to Chen's family and 92,000 yuan to Zhang's family.

Li Qiming did not say if he will make an appeal to a higher court. On Wednesday, Zhang Jinlong, Li Qiming's defense lawyer, had asked for a lighter sentence of three years with the possibility of a reprieve.

Li Qiming became notorious throughout China after the media reported that he had shouted "My father is Li Gang!" to a crowd that was trying to prevent him from leaving the scene of the crash. His exclamation was widely seen as an attempt to use his father's official position and influence to escape the scene and responsibility.

The comment exploded on the Internet, leading netizens to accuse both the father and son of abusing power. "My father is Li Gang," has become the country's newest catchphrase, alluding to privileged children from official and wealthy families

Xinhua - China Daily