A court on Wednesday rejected the appeal of a former policeman who was given a death sentence for shooting a pregnant woman dead in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Guangxi high people's court upheld the verdict handed down to Hu Ping, a former police officer who was sentenced to death for intentional homicide at his first trial in February.

Hu's case will be reported to the Supreme People's Court for verification and approval, the court said. 

A police investigation found that Hu, 34, was drunk when he shot the woman and her husband, who ran a noodle restaurant, on October 28 in Pingnan county. The husband, Cai Shiyong, sustained minor injuries to his right shoulder. His wife, Wu Ying, and their unborn child died after she was shot twice by Hu.

A report by the No.5 People's Hospital of Nanning showed that Hu was drunk but in control at the time.

In his defense during the first trial, Hu said Cai had tried to grab his pistol before he pulled the trigger. However, several witnesses testified that Cai had not attempted to grab the gun until after his wife was shot.

At the appeal on April 1 in Guigang, Guangxi, Hu denied that he shot his gun three times, and questioned the reliability of the witnesses.

He also argued the firearm residue on Cai's sleeve proved he had tried to grab the gun, which caused it to discharge accidentally.

Hu's lawyer submitted a petition by villagers from Yuwu in Pingnan county, Wu's hometown, asking for leniency for Hu. The lawyer also handed over an "agreement of understanding" drafted by the defendant and signed by Wu's relatives, including her mother and brother.