Chiayi man sentenced to 14.5 year for killing neighbor over noise dispute

Taipei, May 9 (CNA) A Chiayi court on Friday sentenced a nearly 80-year-old man to 14.5 years in prison for fatally shooting a woman in August last year with a hunting rifle, after claiming she deliberately made noises at night disrupting his sleep.

The panel of judges, including three judges and six citizen judges, at the Taiwan Chiayi District Court sentenced the man, surnamed Yu (余), to 14 years and six months in prison, revoked his civil rights for eight years, and fined him NT$62,000 (US$2,050) for the murder.

The ruling can be appealed.

According to a police investigation at the scene, the woman was shot in the chest and killed while washing dishes in her kitchen around 3 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2024, as the man approached her house, which was located next to his in an alleyway.

After the incident, Yu called the police to turn himself in, stating he acted to put an end to the noise disturbance caused by the woman, who moved into the neighborhood in Zhongpu township about six months earlier, the police said.

Yu had told the authorities that the rifle was given to him by an Indigenous resident whom he spent time with about 20 years ago.

During the court hearing, Yu's attorney argued that he developed mental health issues due to prolonged exposure to noise, but the judges rejected the claim due to a lack of evidence.

The judges made its decision based on factors such as Yu committing the murder over his perception of noise and showing no remorse or regret for the incident, according to the court.