Taiwan man gets 8 years for killing neighbor over washing machine noise

A man in Pingtung, Taiwan, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for fatally stabbing his neighbor, who was also his former junior high school classmate. The fatal altercation occurred after the neighbor complained about the noise from the man's sister's washing machine.

The incident took place on the evening of January 20, 2023. The convicted man, identified by the surname Liu, had consumed alcohol at two separate gatherings before returning home. He heard his neighbor, surnamed Zhuo, protesting outside about the washing machine noise. Enraged, Liu went outside and began hitting Zhuo's car. When Zhuo demanded compensation for the damage, Liu returned to his kitchen, retrieved a 29.5 cm long knife, and stabbed Zhuo in the right chest.

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dead drunk

Zhuo, severely wounded, managed to pull the blade out, restrain Liu, and call for help. However, he succumbed to his injuries after being taken to the hospital. The knife's blade penetrated directly through his heart and liver.

During the trial at the Pingtung District Court, Liu claimed he was "dead drunk" and only intended to scare Zhuo. He argued that the deep stab wound occurred when Zhuo stumbled during a struggle, denying any intent to kill. However, medical evaluations indicated Liu had a 40-year history of alcohol abuse and had a blood alcohol content estimated at 1.0 mg/L at the time of the incident, meeting criteria for "alcohol intoxication" and "alcohol use disorder." This significantly impaired his ability to recognize or control his actions.

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alcohol intoxication and alcohol use disorder

The court acknowledged Liu's severe intoxication but found he still possessed the "uncertain intent" to kill, as evidenced by his ability to locate and use a kitchen knife to attack a vital organ. Considering Liu had transferred property to the victim's children as a partial settlement, the court reduced his sentence to eight years. Due to his unwillingness to abstain from alcohol, he was also ordered to undergo one year of mandatory alcohol addiction treatment after his prison term.

The prosecution appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient. However, the Kaohsiung High Court upheld the original sentence, noting that Liu had confessed in the second trial and that the initial sentencing had already factored in his high culpability due to alcoholism and the settlement. The case may still be appealed further.

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uncertain intent to kill