A man convicted of killing a female doctor on Tuesday lodged an appeal to commute his death sentence.

In the early hours of Jan 19, Li Xinglong beat his wife and broke her arm.

His son called emergency services but left with him his mother before Zhu Yufei and three other doctors arrived at the family home in Baotou, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Li then told them that his wife was on the balcony and attacked them with a cooking knife after they entered the apartment.

He grabbed Zhu, locked the door and stabbed her to death.

The procuratorate in Baotou charged Li with intentional injury and homicide and he was sentenced in March.

Li Huijuan, an attorney representing Zhu's family members, said that Li appealed the sentence saying that he didn't intend to kill her.

"It's his right to appeal, but it will blemish the law if the higher court reviewing the case changes the sentence," she said.