The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a 17-year sentence for a man convicted for the stabbing death of railway police officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰) in 2019.
Wednesday’s ruling was final.
It mainly affirmed a ruling in February by the High Court, which found that the suspect, surnamed Cheng (鄭), 56, was guilty of killing Lee, who was 25.
It sentenced Cheng to 17 years in prison and ordered that when he finishes that sentence, he be placed under custodial protection to monitor and treat his mental health conditions.
In the first ruling in May last year, the Chiayi District Court acquitted Cheng of the murder charge based on a psychiatric evaluation that said he had schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
The acquittal sparked a public outcry, with many hailing Lee as a hero who died in the line of duty, as he protected passengers on the train from Cheng.
On Wednesday, the judges affirmed evidence, application of legal procedures and an explanation for the prison term from the second ruling.
The High Court had ordered its own psychiatric evaluation, which was conducted by a psychiatrist from a different hospital, who also found that Cheng has mental disorders, impaired judgement and diminished capacity, but concluded that he had enough control over his actions to be held responsible for the killing.
A graduate of the Taiwan Police College, Lee was killed on July 3, 2019, after being stabbed by Cheng, who did not have a ticket on a northbound express train.
After refusing to disembark, Cheng stabbed Lee in the abdomen.
Video of the incident shows Cheng becoming violent and turning to yell at the conductor while Lee grapples with Cheng.
The altercation continues for several minutes, during which a passenger tries to dislodge the knife from Cheng’s grip.
Despite sustaining a wound that left his internal organs exposed, Lee continued to fight Cheng, who was eventually subdued.
Lee was bleeding profusely and died at a local hospital.
When hearing of the acquittal in the first ruling, Lee’s father said: “This is outrageous... The judges have lost their sense and reason.”
Following Wednesday’s ruling, Lee’s mother said: “With some reluctance, I can accept this decision.”
“I think the sentence can help make our society safer,” she said. “By the time that Cheng finishes his prison sentence, I hope that he will never again endanger the public.”
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