A Taoyuan man who killed a convenience store clerk who asked him to wear a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 was today sentenced again to life in prison by the High Court.
Chiang Chia-kai (蔣嘉凱) returned home after the interaction, changed his clothes to disguise himself and re-entered the store with a knife, stabbing the clerk 13 times in the chest, investigators found.
The victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene due to excessive blood loss.
Photo: Yang Kuo-wen, Taipei Times
The Taoyuan District Court initially sentenced Chiang to death for premeditated murder, as his change of clothes signaled intent and he was found to have a clear mental health record at the time.
However, as it was found that the assailant had mixed sedatives, sleep aids and anti-anxiety medications since 2015 and reported having no recollection of the stabbing, displaying erratic behavior and an unstable mental state, the High Court in 2023 reduced his sentence to life in prison.
The Supreme Court ordered a retrial, requesting further investigation into Chiang’s drug use and its effects on his mental state, after two medical assessments were conducted.
The High Court used the assessment more favorable toward Chiang as evidence, and did not provide sufficient explanation for the decision, the Supreme Court said.
Today, the High Court again sentenced Chiang to life imprisonment and stripped him of his civil rights, although the case can be appealed.
On hearing the outcome, Chiang reportedly remained expressionless and did not answer questions from reporters.
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