TAIPEI: A Taiwanese woman who head out the island’s deadliest fireplace in decades to obtain back at her boyfriend escaped the passing away penalty on Friday (Aug 5) as the court handed down the life sentence.
Last October’s inferno in the southern part of city of Kaohsiung raged through multiple floors of a dilapidated 13-storey apartment block for hours, killing 46 people and injuring 41.
Authorities got said the blaze started when the accused Huang Ke-ke, 51, left unextinguished incense ashes on a sofa before leaving the building.
Huang was indicted on killing and arson fees in January, with prosecutors seeking the girl execution.
Prosecutors said she deliberately started the open fire to “embarrass” her boyfriend, who the lady suspected of infidelity, and had shown no remorse for her activities.
Kaohsiung area court on Friday convicted Huang on charges of arson and negligence leading to death, and sentenced her to life in prison.
“The defendant didn’t have motive to instill damage on additional residents in the building… the murder offence didn’t stand since she didn’t deliberately” cause the fatalities, the court mentioned in a statement.
Huang admitted lighting sandalwood incense to repel mosquitoes. But she gave inconsistent statements on what the girl did before making her room, according to prosecutors.
The girl initially claimed she threw the incense into a bin, but later said the lady could not remember exactly what she did.
The blaze highlighted concerns over lax safety standards within Taiwan and uncovered the poor living situations of the elderly in a rapidly ageing community.
Prosecutors mentioned they would appeal the particular ruling.