The Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing City sentenced Chen to death on Sept. 30, finding him guilty of the crime which left 42 dead and hundreds critically ill.

Chen appealed to the Higher People's Court of Jiangsu Province, which overruled his appeal and upheld the judgment.

Chen, 32, ran a snack bar in competition with the Zhengwu Pastry Bar in Tangshan Township of Jiangning District of Nanjing City. According to the court, he poisoned fried dough sticks, sesame cakes and glutinous rice prepared by the Zhengwu Pastry Bar out of jealousy of his rival's success.

Chen admitted to putting a large amount of powerful rat poison into his rival's raw pastry materials at about 11:00 p.m. on Sept.13. More than 300 people who had breakfast there the next day became ill, and among them 42 have died.

The court was given evidence that Chen had a prior criminal record, having been jailed for theft in 1992 for two years and six months.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2002)