A man was sentenced to one year in prison for abandoning his mentally-ill wife on a highway, which led to her death in a traffic accident, Qingpu District People's Court ruled.

The man's father was sentenced to nine months in jail with a probation period of one-year for his role as an accomplice, the court said.

The husband was seeking a divorce, which was rejected by his wife's sister, in order to marry another woman, the court heard.

On March 23, the man and his father took the woman to Qingzhao Highway in Qingpu District. The husband helped her out of the car and told her he was going to get some food. He then drove away, the court was told.

"I made a sign with her sister's name and phone number on it. I had thought whoever saw her standing alone by the roadside would contact her sister," the husband told the court.

After not hearing from the sister after a few days, he alerted police and said his sick wife was missing after going out alone, the court was told.

Police found that the woman was killed in a road accident on March 24. Her husband and the man’s father later surrendered and confessed to police.

(Shanghai Daily September 23, 2008)