A Chinese court on Monday handed Gu Kailai, wife of the leader Bo Xilai, a suspended death sentence for murdering a British man, a lawyer for the victim's family said.

Frame grab taken from CCTV video on August 9 shows Gu Kailai,

wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, during her murder trial in Hefei.

He Zhengsheng told reporters after Monday's hearing that Gu had been found guilty and given the death penalty with two years' reprieve – a sentence that is usually commuted to life in prison.

Gu confessed during her trial this month to killing 41-year-old Neil Heywood by pouring poison down his throat, saying that she had threatened her son after a business deal went sour.

Zhang Xiaojun, an employee of the Bo family who was charged as an accomplice to the murder, was sentenced to nine years in jail, He said, adding, "we respect today's decision."

Heywood's death in a hotel room in southwest China last November was initially attributed to a heart attack, but Chinese authorities said in April that Gu was suspected of killing him.

VNN/AFP