The case of Li Qiming went viral on the Internet in China after he was accused of fatally striking a female pedestrian while driving drunk in the northern city of Baoding in October. He was 22 at the time of the incident.

After the accident, he reportedly dared bystanders to take action against him, shouting "My father is Li Gang!", referring to the deputy director of the public security bureau in the district where the incident took place.

The case stoked outrage among web users as the latest example of government officials and their relatives abusing their positions, just as the leadership in Beijing is trying to quell public anger over a range of issues.

Li has been charged with "causing death through traffic offences" by the court in Baoding, located in Hebei province. Chinese media reports have said the charge could bring a sentence of between three and seven years.

"This is extremely brazen!" said a posting commenting on the charges on the Twitter-like service of online portal Sina.com, which claims tens of millions of users in China.

"It is yet another outrage against public opinion."

Another said: "China's legal system could not be any more distant from the common people. They exist only to protect the rich and powerful.

"We have no way to speak out. Who will look after our hopes and dreams?"

Li admitted in court during his one-day trial on Wednesday to causing the death of one of the two women he struck, state media reports said. However, another report said he claimed he was unaware that he struck anybody.

Court officials and a lawyer for the family of the deceased said a verdict would be announced at a later date, giving no further details.

The state-run Global Times newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying more than 500 people had gathered outside the courthouse as the trial was being heard.

The victim, a university student, had been roller-skating on her campus with a friend when Li's car struck them both. The other woman suffered a broken leg but survived.

Family members of the victim in the Li case were reportedly told to stop talking about it after they received compensation of 460,000 yuan ($70,000).

China's leaders are scrambling to contain public anger over a range of hot-button issues such as official abuses and the rising cost of food and housing.

Premier Wen Jiabao paid an unprecedented visit this week to an office in Beijing where citizens petition the government over perceived injustices and other grievances.

Wen pledged the government would go all-out to address difficulties faced by the public.

Underlining the official fears over possible unrest, a popular cartoon that marks the Year of the Rabbit by portraying a bloody revolt by a population of bunnies was unavailable on Chinese websites Thursday, apparently deleted by censors.

The video by animator Wang Bo went viral on Chinese video-sharing sites recently thanks to its blood-soaked depiction of a number of recent scandals that have angered China's public, including the Li case.

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