Woman receives heavier suspended sentence for attempting to kill husband in his sleep

A Chinese woman who attempted to stab her sleeping husband to death was handed a heavier suspended prison sentence on appeal.

Close up of a court mallet [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

A Chinese woman who attempted to stab her sleeping husband to death was handed a heavier suspended prison sentence on appeal.

The Jeonju branch of the Gwangju High Court on Wednesday overturned a lower court ruling and sentenced the defendant to three years in prison with a five-year suspension. The woman had been initially sentenced to 18 months in jail with a three-year suspension for attempted murder.

“Although the crime appears to have been committed impulsively after financial disputes with her husband, the sanctity of life is the most fundamental value protected by law and society,” the appeals court said in its ruling on Wednesday. “Even if the attempt was unsuccessful, such actions warrant strict punishment.”

The court added, “Had co-workers who witnessed the crime not intervened, the outcome could have been fatal. Taking into account the danger posed by the weapon used and the extent of the victim’s injuries, we have reassessed the sentence.”

The woman was indicted for stabbing her husband twice in the abdomen with a weapon at around 11:45 p.m. on May 22 in a company dormitory in Iksan, North Jeolla.

Awakened by the husband’s screams, co-workers overpowered the woman and called emergency services. The husband suffered serious injuries but later submitted a letter to the court requesting leniency, saying he wished to maintain the family and restore their relationship.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]