VANCOUVER -- A B.C. man convicted of killing his wealthy in-law five years ago has been sentenced to spend about two more years behind bars.
Li Zhao was sentenced Monday to seven years for manslaughter, the B.C. Prosecution Service told CTV News.
Additionally, he was sentenced to 3.5 years for indignities to human remains. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively.
Zhao was given 2,972 days' credit for time served prior to his sentence, or about eight years.
He also received a 10-year firearm prohibition.
Zhao knew the victim, 42-year-old Gang Yuan, the court heard during his trial. Zhao was married to Yuan's cousin, and was arrested hours after Yuan's body was found.
The West Vancouver billionaire's body had been chopped into more than 100 pieces, and was located at a home in the tony British Properties neighbourhood of West Vancouver back in May 2015, the court heard.
During Zhao's trial, testimony suggested the men were involved in a violent confrontation, during which Yuan was hit with a hammer, then shot twice.
Zhao told the court he'd feared for his life, testimony the judge rejected as untruthful. However, the judge said the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zhao intended to kill Yuan.
Zhao, who had been charged with second-degree murder, was found guilty on the lesser charge in January.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Alissa Thibault and Andrew Weichel
