Keelung: A woman in Keelung received a 14.5-year prison sentence for murdering a Thai domestic helper she hired illegally last year, the Keelung District Court ruled Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the woman, surnamed Lin, posted an ad on a Facebook group on May 6, 2024, to hire a domestic helper. Thai national Suthida Sansang responded to the ad, and they met at Lin's home later that day. On May 10, Lin took Sansang to Dawulun Fort in a mountainous area of Keelung bordering New Taipei's coastal district of Wanli. There, Lin attempted to abandon the illegally hired domestic helper.

Sansang refused to remain in the rural mountainous area, leading to an argument. During the altercation, Lin hit Sansang with a helmet and stabbed her several times. Sansang managed to escape and hide in the grass, while Lin disposed of the knife and Sansang's mobile phone before leaving the scene. Unfortunately, Sansang succumbed to her injuries and bled to death.

Although Lin admitted to attacking Sansang, she denied intending to kill her during the trial. The court noted that Lin has not paid reasonable compensation to Sansang's family, despite having apologized for the incident. Furthermore, the court found that Lin used excessive force to attack the victim and left her to die.

The 14.5-year prison term was decided by three judges and six citizen judges. The minimum jail time for the murder is 10 years. The judges considered Lin's status as a single mother with young children and her drug addiction in determining the sentence. Lin was also a migrant worker from Thailand before marrying her Taiwanese husband.