The Hsinchu District Court has sentenced a man to seven months in jail for firing fireworks at a private residence.
The ruling said a man surnamed Shan (單), who held a grudge against a man surnamed Hsieh (謝) over private quarrels, at 4:30pm on Aug. 3 and 5am on Aug. 12 last year fired skyrocket fireworks at Hsieh’s residence, which threatened his life, body and property.
Shan’s actions terrorized Hsieh and threatened his personal security, it said.
Photo copied by Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
Shan denied that he was threatening Hsieh, adding that he was not trying to intimidate anyone, it said.
He told the court that he did not target Hsieh, and that none of the skyrockets were aimed at Hsieh’s residence.
After reviewing closed-circuit television footage, a judge found that the skyrockets set off the first time by Shan were aimed in a particular direction instead of the sky, and those set off the second time fell inside Hsieh’s yard, emitting thick smoke.
Shan also hurled verbal abuse after firing the skyrockets, threatening to repeat his actions if Hsieh dared to visit his grandparents again, the judge said.
In light of the evidence, Shan shooting skyrockets twice in front of Hsieh’s residence was clearly an act of intimidation against Hsieh, the ruling said.
It said it was common sense that aiming fireworks at the residence was intended to send a message, enough to frighten the victim and threaten their life, body and property, thus constituting the offense of threatening personal security, for which Shan was charged.
As Shan had denied the crime and said during the trial that he would again shoot skyrockets toward the victim’s residence, expressing no regret for the incidents, the judge sentenced him to seven months in prison, which can be commuted to a fine, the ruling said.
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
‘ANGRY’: Forgetting the humiliations and sacrifices of ‘the people of the Republic of China’ experienced disqualified Lai from being president, Ma Ying-jeou said Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized President William Lai (賴清德) over what he called “phrasing that downplayed Japan’s atrocities” against China during World War II. Ma made the remarks in a post on Facebook on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Ma said he was “angry and disappointed” that Lai described the anniversary as the end of World War II instead of a “victory in the war of resistance” — a reference to the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The eight-year war was a part of World War II, in which Japan and the other Axis
RSS