Unsatisfied that he was not handed the death sentence for killing his wife by hammering a screwdriver into her forehead, 84-year-old Wang Ching-hsi (王敬熙) said he would appeal the ruling.
Wang spoke through his lawyer after the Taipei District Court on Thursday sentenced him to nine years in prison.
On Dec. 26 last year, Wang killed his wife, Wang Sun-yuan (王孫元), who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for decades and whose condition had worsened after a fall at home left her disabled.
Wang hammered a screwdriver into his wife’s forehead and immediately turned himself in to police.
Wang was quoted by police as saying that he did it because he wanted to end his wife’s suffering.
After hearing the judge on Thursday sentence him to nine years behind bars, Wang asked why he wasn’t given the death penalty.
The judge said that if the defendant was not satisfied with the ruling, he could file an appeal 10 days after receiving the notice.
“I’m going to appeal the sentence,” Wang said.
Wang’s lawyer said that because Wang is over the age of 80, under the law he cannot be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
The lawyer added that Wang could be eligible for a further commutation of his sentence, under Article 59 of the Criminal Code. However, the judge did not take that article into consideration, according to Wang’s lawyer.
Article 59 of the Criminal Code states that if the circumstances leading to the perpetration of a crime appear to be worthy of pity, and if the lightest sentence for the offense is still severe, it is within the power of the judge to reduce the sentence.
In light of his client’s reaction to not receiving the death penalty, and because Wang turned himself in, he was not given a heavy sentence, Wang’s lawyer said.
However, because it is rare for a defendant to make an appeal that is detrimental to their case, Wang’s lawyer said he would discuss the issue further with his client.
“We will decide whether to appeal the sentence once we receive the court notice,” the lawyer said.
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