A Vietnamese woman surnamed Nguyen found guilty of arson has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison, and is to be deported after serving her sentence, the Changhua District Court ruled.
Nguyen set fire to a motel room in November last year, and was found squatting near the source of the fire when firefighters arrived, court documents showed.
The incident was the latest of several that occurred involving Nguyen, the documents showed.
Photo: Taipei Times
Nguyen moved to Taiwan for marriage 20 years ago, but later got a divorce.
Seven years ago, she was sentenced to 20 days of detention after she poured gasoline on her then-boyfriend.
Two years ago, she stabbed a friend during a fight and was sentenced to three months in prison, the documents showed, adding that Nguyen declined the option to commute the sentence to a fine, apparently as she was unable to pay.
During the trial for the arson incident, Nguyen denied setting the fire, claiming that it might have been caused by accident when she was smoking. However, the judge, citing evidence, said that the curtains, extension cords and other debris would not have been piled up in the first place, apparently for the purpose of arson.
The court documents also showed that Nguyen had previously been involved in arson. In May last year, Nguyen was at her boyfriend surnamed Liu’s (劉) home in Changhua County’s Erlin Township (二林) when a fire broke out in Liu’s bedroom. In that incident as well, when firefighters arrived they found Nguyen squatting near where the fire started.
Nguyen appeared to have been motivated by anger, because she could not see her sons from a previous marriage and because of her poor financial situation, the judge said.
During the trial, the Changhua District Court asked Changhua Christian Hospital to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of Nguyen. The assessment report said that Nguyen was normal at the time of the incident.
The judges in both the first and second rulings had deliberated on whether to have Nguyen deported, out of concern over contravening the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The High Court judge in the second ruling summoned Nguyen’s two adult sons, but they were unwilling to testify and did not comment on whether they felt their mother should be permitted to stay in Taiwan.
The judge said that given the lack of contact between Nguyen and her sons, she had very weak ties to family in Taiwan.
The judge added that Nguyen appeared to be completely unaware of the seriousness of the two arson attacks.
The court believed she had no chance of integrating into Taiwanese society and ruled that she be deported after serving her sentence or if she obtains a pardon.
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