Chinese couple are sentenced to death after father killed his two toddlers by throwing them off a 15th-floor balcony because new partner didn't want to raise another woman's children

The 27-year-old had met Ye Chengchen, who he wanted to marry, but she refused to accept him while he already had children and so did her parents.

Zhang Bo, 27, (right) threw his two children, aged 2 and 1, from his apartment building in Chongqing, China, because his new girlfriend Ye Chengchen (left)would not marry him while he was the father to someone else's children

His girlfriend pressured him into getting rid of them, even cutting her wrists on the day in question to show her frustration at not being able to start a new family with him.

The man then threw both children out of the window before running downstairs to appear grief-stricken at what had just happened.

He was filmed banging his head on the wall and crying uncontrollably, which prosecutors said was all a sham.

He claimed at the time that he was asleep when the children fell out of the window and said he was woken up by people shouting downstairs after discovering the bodies on a grass lawn.

Zhang Bo's daughter Zhang Ruixue, 2, died instantly, while his son Zhang Yangrui, 1, died shortly after from his injuries

The two children were thrown from a balcony on the 15th-floor of Bo's apartment complex in the municipality of Chongqing

Zhang's ex-wife, named Chen Meilin, told local media that his new girlfriend Chengchen 'didn't want Zhang to have children of his own blood' to another woman.

Zhang started a relationship with Chengchen while he was still married, and he divorced Meilin later. Custody of the children was shared, so the daughter would remain with her mother and the son would remain with his father until he was six-years-old.

However, he asked to look after his daughter on the day that he killed both of them after seeing his girlfriend cut her wrists during a live video chat.

The dead children's mother Chen said: 'At that time, Zhang was on a video phone call with Ye. She slit her wrists and then Zhang got scared. The phone was dropped, he picked up the two children, and threw them from the balcony.'

According to local media, the father admitted he and Ye had plotted to kill the children so that they could start a new family without any children from his former marriage.

The suspect's ex-wife said: 'The moment I heard my kids were actually thrown out of the 15th-floor by their father and the mistress, I couldn't find any words to describe my feelings.

Bo threw both children out of the window before running downstairs to appear grief-stricken at what had just happened. He was filmed banging his head on the wall and crying uncontrollably (pictured), which prosecutors said was all a sham

Pictured: The two children who were thrown to their deaths from an apartment complex in China

'I couldn't imagine what my kids had experienced from the 15th floor to the ground. Were they desperate? Were they afraid?'

She claimed her ex-husband cried in court and apologised for his actions while his girlfriend denied accusations against her many times.

The trial got underway at the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court in July.

On 28th December, Zhang was reportedly sentenced to death for killing his children. His girlfriend was also sentenced to death for pressuring the father to carry out the crime.

It is unclear if they plan to appeal the decision.