TAIPEI: The Taiwan High Court has confirmed an 11-year-and-four-month prison sentence for a man involved in the fatal stabbing of a Malaysian college student in Keelung last year. The court’s decision on Thursday supports the previous ruling by the Keelung District Court, which found the defendant guilty of causing bodily harm leading to death.

According to Focus Taiwan, the incident occurred on November 14, 2023, when the 23-year-old Malaysian student, identified by his surname Chen, was socializing with friends at a karaoke club. An altercation took place outside the club at 4 a.m. after Chen and his friends had a confrontation with another group. The dispute escalated when Chen Chih-hung, a member of the opposing group, used a switchblade to stab Chen in the right thigh and injure another friend, surnamed Yen.

The attack resulted in Chen’s femoral artery being pierced, leading to significant blood loss. He succumbed to hypovolemic shock and multiple organ failure three days later in the hospital. In Augu
st, the Keelung District Court sentenced Chen Chih-hung to 11 years for the fatal stabbing and an additional four months for injuring Yen.

The sentence was contested by both prosecutors and the defense, but the Taiwan High Court found no grounds to alter the original judgment. The court noted that neither party presented new evidence to warrant a change in the sentence, leading to the dismissal of the appeals.