A court in South China on Monday approved a suspended death sentence handed down to a sex pest who attacked and killed a fellow student.

Ao Xiang, 22, was convicted of committing two sexual assaults, on Nov 20 and 21, in a women's dormitory at Dongguan University of Technology in Guangdong province.

According to court documents, in the second attack he suffocated a 19-year-old student to prevent her screaming, Guangzhou Daily reported.

Ao surrendered to police shortly afterwards and was convicted at Dongguan Intermediate People's Court. He was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, which usually means life inprisonment.

Earlier reports said Ao committed indecent assaults on five female students at the university.