Man Sentenced to 12.5 Years for Killing Friend with 23 Stabs; Verdict Finalized
A man who stabbed his friend 23 times to death after being attacked over a drug dispute has had his 12.5-year prison sentence finalized by the Supreme Court. The court rejected claims of self-defense and voluntary surrender.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 12:41
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 13:01 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 13:08 (6 min after Collected)
Central News Agency (CNA), Taipei, April 28. A man named Chen Shifeng, who was resentful of being stabbed by his friend surnamed Shen after refusing to provide drugs, has been sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison for retaliating and stabbing Shen 23 times to death. Both the first and second instance courts sentenced Chen to the term, and the Supreme Court recently dismissed the appeal, making the verdict final.
According to the first instance judgment from the New Taipei District Court, Chen and Shen met while serving time in prison and maintained contact after their release, with Chen continuously providing heroin. On October 20, 2023, Chen refused to provide drugs, leading Shen to stab him in the right chest with a Bowie knife while Chen was lying on his side looking at his phone.
Viewing this as biting the hand that fed him, Chen immediately pulled out the knife from his chest and retaliated, stabbing Shen a total of 23 times in the head, face, neck, and chest, causing Shen's immediate death. Chen later called a friend, who then reported the incident to the police, bringing the case to light.
The citizen judge panel at the New Taipei District Court determined that although Chen was wounded, he was not under continuous attack at the time of his retaliation, thus it did not constitute self-defense. Furthermore, Chen's call to his friend did not mention details of the case, failing to meet the requirements for a sentence reduction through voluntary surrender.
The court considered Chen's motive and potential for rehabilitation, sentencing him to 12 years and 6 months. Following an appeal, the Taiwan High Court upheld the original sentence in August last year. The case then went to the Supreme Court, which found no errors in the second instance ruling and deemed the sentencing appropriate, dismissing the appeal on the 22nd of this month. The case is now closed.
According to the first instance judgment from the New Taipei District Court, Chen and Shen met while serving time in prison and maintained contact after their release, with Chen continuously providing heroin. On October 20, 2023, Chen refused to provide drugs, leading Shen to stab him in the right chest with a Bowie knife while Chen was lying on his side looking at his phone.
Viewing this as biting the hand that fed him, Chen immediately pulled out the knife from his chest and retaliated, stabbing Shen a total of 23 times in the head, face, neck, and chest, causing Shen's immediate death. Chen later called a friend, who then reported the incident to the police, bringing the case to light.
The citizen judge panel at the New Taipei District Court determined that although Chen was wounded, he was not under continuous attack at the time of his retaliation, thus it did not constitute self-defense. Furthermore, Chen's call to his friend did not mention details of the case, failing to meet the requirements for a sentence reduction through voluntary surrender.
The court considered Chen's motive and potential for rehabilitation, sentencing him to 12 years and 6 months. Following an appeal, the Taiwan High Court upheld the original sentence in August last year. The case then went to the Supreme Court, which found no errors in the second instance ruling and deemed the sentencing appropriate, dismissing the appeal on the 22nd of this month. The case is now closed.