Court upholds sentence of man in fatal stabbing of Malaysian student

Taipei, Dec. 12 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday upheld an 11-year-and-four-month prison sentence for a man who fatally stabbed a Malaysian college student outside a Keelung karaoke club last year.

The case stems from an incident on Nov. 14, 2023, in which a 23-year-old Malaysian student at National Taiwan Ocean University, surnamed Chen (陳), went out with friends to a karaoke club in Keelung.

While waiting outside the karaoke club at 4 a.m., Chen became involved in an argument with another man, Chen Chih-hung (陳志鴻), whose friends had accidentally barged into Chen's KTV booth earlier that night.

In the altercation that followed, Chen Chih-chung pulled out a switchblade, which he used to stab Chen's right thigh and slash the leg of Chen's friend, surnamed Yen (顏).

Chen, whose femoral artery was pierced in the stabbing, lost large amounts of blood, and died in hospital three days later of hypovolemic shock and multiple organ failure.

Following a trial at the Keelung District Court, Chen Chih-chung was found guilty in August of causing bodily harm leading to death. He was sentenced to 11 years for fatally stabbing Chen and four months for slashing Yen.

Although the sentence was appealed by both prosecutors and the defense, the Taiwan High Court said in its verdict Thursday that there was "nothing inappropriate" about the lower court's ruling.

As no new evidence was presented by either party to justify changing the sentence, the appeals against the sentence were dismissed, the court said.

The high court's ruling can be appealed.