Wang Jiajing, 24, is charged on Oct. 19 with battery after launching a frenzied knife attack on his mother, at Pudong International Airport in March.

Flanked by court officials, Wang Jiajing entered Pudong New Area People's Court at the start of his trial yesterday morning.

The 24-year-old student is charged with battery after launching a frenzied knife attack on his mother at Pudong International Airport in March.

For Wang, it was the first time he had been in the same room as Gu Jianhua, both his mother and victim, since he was detained by airport police.

While Wang seemed calm in the dock, his mother - sitting just 5 meters away in the assigned victim's seat - struggled to hold back her tears and covered half her face with her hands as she saw her only son standing trial.

Prosecutors said Wang stabbed Gu with two knives at the airport at around 8:30pm on March 31. Gu sustained injuries to her head, arms, stomach and back.

Wang, who is no taller than 1.7 meters, remained silent most of the time. He answered questions in a low voice and not once did Wang turn his head to the left to look at his mother.

The only time he raised his voice was when he admitted stabbing his mother to the judge.

"I stabbed my mom," Wang said clearly, stressing every word.

Wang told the court he was agitated after his mother, who had come to pick him up from a flight from Japan, refused his request for thousands of yuan to support his tuition and living fees in Japan.

Gu said she didn't blame her son for he had been suffering mental problems for two years.

"I was not a good mother. I didn't take him to see doctors when he told me he had heard people whispering at his ears," said Gu.

The court confirmed that an evaluation test had shown that Wang suffered from schizophrenia with limited criminal responsibility.

Wang pleaded guilty, but a verdict was not announced yesterday as his lawyer argued that Wang was innocent for he had committed crimes while in an unstable mental condition.

He went to study in Japan in 2006 and was due to graduate next year.

During his stay in Japan, Wang frequently moved home as he claimed he was always assaulted by other people where he lived. "They didn't let me read, sleep or eat," Wang said at the court.

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