Rejected Suitor Sentenced to 6.5 Years for Attempted Murder After Stabbing Colleague

A 31-year-old man, Jiang Zhihao, has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison for attempted murder after his romantic pursuit of a female colleague was rejected. The court found that Jiang's unrequited feelings escalated into a violent attack.

Jiang stalked the woman to a beverage shop on March 26 last year. While she was ordering a drink, he attacked her from behind with a fruit knife, inflicting a torn left upper lung, left pneumothorax, and a puncture wound to her back. After the assault, Jiang attempted to take his own life with the same knife. Both individuals survived after being rushed to the hospital.

Evidence presented in court included a notebook seized from Jiang. It contained multiple labels detailing drink orders, including sugar levels and ice preferences, along with branch names and purchase times. This meticulous record of the victim's habits, coupled with his knowledge of her preferred beverage shop, indicated premeditation rather than a spontaneous act. He had also previously sent her disturbing messages, leading her to complain about his harassment to their company, which resulted in his transfer to another factory.