A Chinese court has convicted a man of intentional homicide and sentenced him to death for hurling a toddler to the ground because of an argument with her mother over a parking space.

The Beijing court system said in a statement that Han Lei, 39, grabbed the two-year-old from her carriage and threw her to the ground.

The girl was severely injured and died days later in a hospital. Han fled the scene on 23 July but was caught by the police the following day.

The Beijing No 1 intermediate people's court sentenced Han to death and a second man who drove him away from the scene to five years for attempting to cover up a crime.