Shandong Provincial High People's Court overturned original judgment and has sentenced the man who was convicted for life for stabbing four debt collectors to five years on Friday.

The court said Yu Huan acted in self-defense and he confessed to his crime during the trial, so he should be shown leniency in line with the law.

Yu, 21, from Liaocheng, Shandong, was sentenced to life for intentionally causing injury by a lower court on Feb 17, after he stabbed four debt collectors who confronted him and his mother. One of the debt collectors later died.

He appealed to the high court, claiming he reacted the way he did because one of the debt collectors had insulted his mother by exposing himself to her, which was later verified by the court in a public hearing on May 27.

The case aroused public attention at that time with some saying Yu's penalty was too harsh.