Tainan Man's Excessive Self-Defense Leads to Friend's Death on Lunar New Year's Eve, Sentenced to 6 Years Imprisonment
A Tainan barbecue restaurant owner, who fatally stabbed a friend with a folding knife after the friend attacked him with an axe on Lunar New Year's Eve, has had his 6-year prison sentence for injury resulting in death confirmed by the Supreme Court, ruling his actions as excessive self-defense.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 12:42
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 13:02 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 03:07 (14h 5m after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei, 11th) A Tainan barbecue restaurant owner, surnamed Chou, fatally stabbed his friend, surnamed Cheng, with a folding knife on Lunar New Year's Eve in 2024, after Cheng arrived at his doorstep with an axe and attacked him. Both the first and second instances ruled Chou's actions as excessive self-defense, sentencing him to 6 years imprisonment for injury resulting in death. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, making the verdict final.
According to the judgment of the second instance, the Tainan Branch of the Taiwan High Court, Chou and Cheng had a dispute on Facebook over a friend's debt. On Lunar New Year's Eve, February 9, 2024, after a phone call, Cheng went to Chou's barbecue restaurant with an axe, broke the glass at the entrance with the axe, and rushed into the dining area to attack Chou.
According to the judgment, Chou used a folding knife for self-defense, but his defense was excessive. During the physical altercation, he continuously attacked with the folding knife, causing Cheng to die from massive hemorrhage due to a ruptured heart and hemopneumothorax. Chou remained at the scene and surrendered to the police who arrived to handle the situation.
The judgment pointed out that the first instance, the Tainan District Court's Citizen Judge Court, sentenced Chou to 6 years imprisonment for injury resulting in death. The prosecutor considered the sentence too light, while the defendant considered it too heavy, both filing appeals.
The Tainan High Court stated that based on the on-site video footage, Chou, in a confined space, chose to continuously stab Cheng with a knife to protect his own life, which was not based on an intent to kill, but rather a legitimate defense against Cheng's unlawful infringement.
The Tainan High Court stated that, however, after Chou disarmed Cheng of the axe, the danger of infringement had significantly decreased, especially since Cheng was bleeding heavily and his attacking force had slowed down. Chou's continued stabbing of Cheng's chest and abdomen, resulting in death, was deemed excessive self-defense, and Chou should bear responsibility for injury resulting in death. The original judgment had thoroughly considered all sentencing factors, and the judgment was not illegal or improper, thus the appeal was rejected.
After appealing to the third instance, the Supreme Court, after deliberation, found no errors in the facts and application of law in the second instance judgment, and the sentencing was appropriate. The appeal was rejected on the 7th, and the entire case is now final. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150511
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(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei, 11th) A Tainan barbecue restaurant owner, surnamed Chou, fatally stabbed his friend, surnamed Cheng, with a folding knife on Lunar New Year's Eve in 2024, after Cheng arrived at his doorstep with an axe and attacked him. Both the first and second instances ruled Chou's actions as excessive self-defense, sentencing him to 6 years imprisonment for injury resulting in death. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, making the verdict final.
According to the judgment of the second instance, the Tainan Branch of the Taiwan High Court, Chou and Cheng had a dispute on Facebook over a friend's debt. On Lunar New Year's Eve, February 9, 2024, after a phone call, Cheng went to Chou's barbecue restaurant with an axe, broke the glass at the entrance with the axe, and rushed into the dining area to attack Chou.
According to the judgment, Chou used a folding knife for self-defense, but his defense was excessive. During the physical altercation, he continuously attacked with the folding knife, causing Cheng to die from massive hemorrhage due to a ruptured heart and hemopneumothorax. Chou remained at the scene and surrendered to the police who arrived to handle the situation.
The judgment pointed out that the first instance, the Tainan District Court's Citizen Judge Court, sentenced Chou to 6 years imprisonment for injury resulting in death. The prosecutor considered the sentence too light, while the defendant considered it too heavy, both filing appeals.
The Tainan High Court stated that based on the on-site video footage, Chou, in a confined space, chose to continuously stab Cheng with a knife to protect his own life, which was not based on an intent to kill, but rather a legitimate defense against Cheng's unlawful infringement.
The Tainan High Court stated that, however, after Chou disarmed Cheng of the axe, the danger of infringement had significantly decreased, especially since Cheng was bleeding heavily and his attacking force had slowed down. Chou's continued stabbing of Cheng's chest and abdomen, resulting in death, was deemed excessive self-defense, and Chou should bear responsibility for injury resulting in death. The original judgment had thoroughly considered all sentencing factors, and the judgment was not illegal or improper, thus the appeal was rejected.
After appealing to the third instance, the Supreme Court, after deliberation, found no errors in the facts and application of law in the second instance judgment, and the sentencing was appropriate. The appeal was rejected on the 7th, and the entire case is now final. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150511
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The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.