Gu Kailai trial: court will announce the verdict and sentence on Monday

The verdict in the murder trial of Gu Kailai, wife of former politician Bo Xilai, will be delivered on Monday, Chinese officials say.

Gu Kailai was tried for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in Hefei city, Anhui province, on 9 August.

A court official told reporters Gu Kailai had not contested allegations that she killed Neil Heywood by poisoning.

Neil Heywood was found dead at a hotel in Chongqing in November 2011.

“On Monday the court will reconvene and announce the verdict and sentence,” Zhang Mingwu, deputy director of the information office of Anhui province, told AFP news.

A court spokeswoman said the verdict was scheduled for 09:00 local time, Reuters news agency reported.

Gu Kailai was tried along with her aide, Zhang Xiaojun, who was described by the court as an accomplice.

The two defendants face a possible death penalty if found guilty.

Analysts say given the reports a guilty verdict appears almost certain, but point to suggestions in state media that Gu Kailai may have been trying to protect her son as signs her case could be treated with a degree of leniency.

The scandal surrounding Ms Gu, herself a prominent lawyer, appears to have ended Bo Xilai’s political career.

Bo Xilai was the Communist party chief in the city of Chongqing but was sacked in March and is currently under investigation for unspecified “disciplinary violations”. He has not been mentioned in Gu Kailai’s case.

The trial and verdict come as China prepares to install a new generation of leaders at a once-in-a-decade congress to be held in the next two or three months.

Seven members of the nine-strong politburo Standing Committee are due to retire.

Bo Xilai was once thought to be a key candidate for promotion to the top leadership, but has not been seen in public since the investigation into his wife was announced.