The girlfriend of alleged serial homicidal thief Zhou Kehua was sentenced to five years in jail on Friday by a court in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Zhang Guiying, 22, was convicted of harboring a criminal and concealing income from crime, announced the Chongqing Shapingba District People's Court.

Zhang was also fined 10,000 yuan (about 1,609 USdollars).

She made no appeal.

In April 2012, Zhang met Zhou Kehua, the fugitive who had allegedly shot 10 people dead. Shortly afterward, Zhang began living with Zhou and saw his guns.

Zhang followed Zhou's order to open bank accounts and helped Zhou by providing information and makeup tools to hide his identity.

The court judgement made explanations targeting major lines of defence from Zhang's lawyer.

Investigation showed that Zhang helped and harbored Zhou after she learned his identity and that his income came from crime, said the judgement.

Zhou is suspected of killing one person during a robbery at a bank gate in Shapingba on Aug. 10 and having handed 60,000 yuan in stolen money to Zhang at noon on the same day. Zhang is then thought to have put the money into different bank accounts.

The couple contacted each other via text messages and phone calls from July 1 to Aug. 13, the court said.

It added that Zhang also collected information on the police search for Zhou and kept him up to date via text messages and phone calls.

On Aug. 11, Zhang also gave Zhou a tube of red lipstick, which he used to disguise himself when police launched a nationwide manhunt for him.

Zhang was sentenced to the combined punishment for several crimes of abetting a criminal and concealing and hiding illicit money.

On Aug. 14, 2012, Zhou was gunned down in Shapingba District in Chongqing. Zhang was soon captured in a rented house in the same district.

Read more in GT Daily Specials: Suspected killer remains at large after attempted robbery in Chongqing