West Vancouver man sentenced to 10 years in death of business partner

A West Vancouver millionaire convicted of killing and then dismembering the body of his former business partner has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Li Zhao was sentenced Monday in B.C. Supreme Court after being convicted of manslaughter and interfering with the remains of Gang Yuan in May of 2015.

With time already served factored in, his prison sentence is reduced to less than two years and five months.

The judge ruled prosecutors couldn't prove Zhao intended to kill the 42-year-old Yuan when the men fought at a mansion in a neighbourhood of West Vancouver known as the British Properties, where they both lived.

The 60-year-old was originally charged with second-degree murder and the Crown was seeking a sentence of at least 12 years.

Court heard that Yuan was shot twice at close range.

Zhao was sentenced to seven years for manslaughter and 3 1/2 years on the second charge, with the sentences to run consecutively.