A man convicted of stabbing two passengers on the Taichung Metro, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in December last year, has received a reduced sentence of nine years and nine months after reaching a settlement with one of the two victims, the High Court’s Taichung branch said in a statement yesterday.
The 20-year-old man, surnamed Hung (洪), was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder and endangering public safety after the attacks on a Taichung Metro train in May last year in which he stabbed a 27-year-old man surnamed Hsu (許) and a 17-year-old high-school student surnamed Lu (呂).
However, the court said that after considering that Hung has reached a settlement with Lu, it decided to reduce the sentence for attempted murder.
Photo: Chang Jui-chen, Taipei Times
Based on Hung’s previous confession, the types and sharpness of the knives he used and that he stabbed the upper body and head of the victims, seriously injuring them, the High Court ruled that Hung did intend to kill people.
Hung’s denial of attempted murder was determined to be not credible, the High Court said.
Asked about the latest court decision, Lu’s father said that his son decided to forgive Hung, giving him a second chance.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on May 21 last year, when Hung used three knives to randomly attack passengers on a Taichung MRT train, injuring two people, before he was subdued by other passengers.
During the investigation, Hung told prosecutors he was dissatisfied with the state of Taiwanese society and wanted to make a statement by killing someone, prosecutors said.
He chose to carry out the assault on the 10th anniversary of a notorious Taipei Metro attack, during which a passenger named Cheng Chieh (鄭捷) killed four people and injured 22 in a stabbing frenzy on a Taipei MRT train on May 21, 2014.
After the prosecutors’ investigation, Hung was charged with attempted murder and public intimidation in June last year.
The ruling can still be appealed.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
Pro-democracy activists and women’s rights groups yesterday held outdoor performances to commemorate victims of the White Terror era, when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) suppressed political dissidents, and called for May 19 to be restored a national holiday. The then-KMT government on May 19, 1949, declared martial law in Taiwan, which lasted until July 15, 1987. More than 40 organizations, headed by the Koo Kwang-ming Foundation and the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Foundation, yesterday gathered in front of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei to hold cultural and artistic performances and demand that May 19 be designated as a national holiday