HEFEI - A Chinese court sentenced Bogu Kailai to death with a two-year reprieve for intentional homicide on Monday.

She was deprived of political rights for life, said the court verdict announced by the Hefei City Intermediate People's Court in east China's Anhui Province.

Zhang Xiaojun, an accessory in the case, was sentenced to nine years in prison.

More than 100 people were present for the court session, including relatives and friends of the two defendants, diplomats from the British embassy and consulates in China, representatives from the media, deputies to China's legislature, members of China's political advisory body, as well as people from all walks of life.

Legal representatives of the family of Neil Heywood, the victim in the case, were also at present.

The proceeding started at 9 am Monday. Hu Quanming, chief judge of the court, announced the verdict after confirming the identities of the defendants.

The court found that, in the latter half of 2011, Bogu Kailai and her son surnamed Bo had conflicts with Heywood over economic interests. Heywood had threatened Bo in e-mails, which made Bogu Kailai fear for her son's personal safety and decide to murder Heywood.

She asked Zhang Xiaojun, then an employee of the general office of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a family assistant for Bogu Kailai, to invite and accompany Heywood to Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.

On November 13, 2011, Heywood checked into Room No. 1605 of the 16th building of a vacation resort called the Lucky Holiday Hotel in Chongqing.

That evening, Bogu Kailai and Zhang visited Heywood's hotel, bringing along the poison containing cyanide compound which Bogu Kailai had prepared beforehand.

After entering Heywood's hotel room, Bogu Kailai drank wine and tea with him while Zhang waited outside. Later, Heywood became drunk and fell in the hotel bathroom, and then Bogu Kailai called Zhang into the hotel room and took from Zhang the poison he had brought.

Zhang helped Heywood to the hotel bed. After Heywood vomited and asked for water, Bogu Kailai poured the poison into his mouth, which caused his death.

The forensic lab under the Ministry of Public Security confirmed through toxicology tests that the reason for the death of Heywood accords with cyanide poisoning.

According to the court verdict, Bogu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun poisoned an individual to death, constituting the crime of intentional homicide.

The court ruled that Bogu Kailai's criminal offense was odious and led to serious consequences. She played the main role in the joint offense and was the principal criminal. The circumstances of her crime warrant the death penalty.