The Taiwan High Court yesterday handed Lin Ying-chang (林英昌) a slightly reduced prison term of 29 years and 10 months in the second ruling on his conviction for detonating a pipe bomb on a commuter train in Taipei, which injured the bomber and 24 others.
The sentence was a reduction of two months after the first ruling in February, when the Taipei District Court gave him a 30-year term.
The high court upheld a fine of NT$300,000.
Lin appealed the first ruling, saying he had wanted to commit suicide and did not intend to injure others.
The High Court upheld convictions on one count of manufacturing an explosive device in breach of the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), 24 counts of attempted murder, 26 counts of property destruction and other offenses.
On July 7 last year, Lin set off a homemade pipe bomb inside a carriage as it was traveling near Songshan Railway Station.
Lin and his lawyer appealed the first ruling, saying it was not attempted murder, as the intention was to commit suicide.
During the High Court hearing, Lin said that a 30-year prison term was too harsh.
He requested a reduced term, “so he could still have some years to live when I get out of jail.”
People injured in the blast and their families told the court that Lin was selfish, adding that a 30-year sentence is too lenient and a 50-year term would be more just.
The court said in a statement that: “The defendant had knowingly manufactured an explosive device for committing a criminal act. He cut a piece of steel pipe, drilled holes in it and packed it with firecrackers, gunpowder and gasoline.”
“The defendant chose to detonate the device on a public transportation system that was packed with people, resulting in injuries to 24 other passengers,” judge Tseng Shu-hua (曾淑華) said. “Three of the people affected sustained serious injuries. The injuries to these three were severe enough to affect their health, family life and their ability to work for the rest of their lives.”
“The defendant knowingly carried out a heinous crime that led to major concern for public security,” Tseng said.
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