A court in east China's Zhejiang Province has sentenced a Didi hitch driver to death for raping and murdering a female passenger last August.

Didi hitch driver Zhong Yuan stands trial at the intermediate people's court of Wenzhou city, Zhejiang Province, on Friday, February 1, 2019. [Photo: The intermediate people's court of Wenzhou city]

Zhong Yuan, 27, was also deprived of his political rights for life for intentional homicide, robbery and rape, according to the intermediate people's court of Wenzhou city, Zhejiang Province.

On Aug. 24, a 19-year-old woman went missing after hailing a car from Didi Chuxing, the country's largest ride-hailing platform, in Wenzhou. The driver Zhong was caught by police the next morning, and confessed to rape and murder.

According to the court, the murder was premeditated. Zhong had gambling debts on an online gambling website and prepared the knife and tape in advance, intending to rob a female passenger.

Zhong's plan failed on Aug. 23 after a female passenger escaped from the car, but he managed to pick up another female passenger the next day and committed the crime, according to the court.

Didi Chuxing suspended its Hitch services nationwide after the case.