Man Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years for Hammer Attack on Neighbor's Boyfriend

A man in Miaoli has been sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison for a violent assault involving a hammer, which left his neighbor's boyfriend with fractured facial bones. The incident occurred in the early hours of June 30 last year when the accused, identified by the surname Liao, engaged in a verbal dispute with the boyfriend of his neighbor, surnamed Chung.

According to the court documents, Liao became enraged during the argument and grabbed a hammer. He then proceeded to strike the victim's face with the pointed end of the tool. The attack resulted in facial bone fractures and lacerations. Fortunately, the victim received prompt medical attention and did not suffer permanent severe injuries.

During the trial, Liao admitted to the assault. The judge considered the dangerous nature of the attack, noting that Liao intentionally used the hammer's pointed end against the victim's head and face, areas known to be vulnerable and susceptible to blindness or severe injury. Liao's prior record, including a conviction for aggravated fraud, was also taken into account. The court highlighted that Liao had not reached a settlement or compensated the victim for damages, demonstrating a disregard for the victim's well-being.

Given that Liao acted with indirect intent (uncertain intent) rather than direct intent, and considering the victim's injuries did not meet the threshold for severe harm, the sentence was reduced according to attempted crime provisions. The judge also factored in Liao's self-reported occupation as a manual laborer when determining the final sentence of 2 years and 10 months imprisonment. The hammer used in the assault was confiscated.