Tainan:Taipei The Supreme Court has upheld a 17-year prison sentence for Liu Chia-yu, a gangster involved in the detention, assault, and robbery of a convenience store clerk who later died by suicide.

According to Focus Taiwan, the court confirmed the Taiwan High Court Tainan Branch Court's verdict, which found Liu guilty of several charges including aggravated armed robbery and involvement in organized crime. Liu's co-defendants, Chen Yi-ling and Tseng Han-jen, received sentences of 12 and 14 years, respectively, for related offenses. The judgment is final and cannot be appealed.

The case began when Chen, who managed a convenience store in Tainan's Yongkang District, suspected a clerk named Ting of theft and contacted Liu and her fiancé for confrontation. Liu, associated with a violent gang, was involved in illegal detention and robbery, and had recruited minors for criminal activities.

On April 27, 2023, Chen and the defendants took Ting to a storage room, where Liu, Tseng, and others assaulted him, resulting in serious injuries. They coerced Ting into signing a large cashier's check and surrendering his belongings. After returning to work on May 2, Ting was subjected to further abuse, including being beaten and threatened with a machete.

Ting admitted to taking NT$200,000, leading Liu to impersonate store management and demand repayment from Ting's mother. Despite receiving the payment, Liu planned to continue extorting Ting's family. When Ting was later taken home under supervision, he was shot by Tseng, surviving the injury but subsequently jumping to his death.

The verdict highlighted Tseng's failure to recognize Ting's vulnerable mental state and prevent his suicide, contributing to the tragic outcome.