Woman jailed 38 months for fatal knife throw
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A county court in Kaifeng, Henan, has sentenced a woman identified as Chen (陳某) to three years and two months' imprisonment for negligent homicide after a knife she threw in a kitchen fatally struck her ex-husband, Zhang (張某). The incident happened in May last year while both were working in a cooked-food shop or restaurant kitchen, where Chen said the pointed knife was in the way near the sink and threw it toward a refrigerator. The blade hit Zhang in the chest, causing a ruptured heart and massive bleeding, and he later died despite being taken to hospital. The court said Chen confessed truthfully, pleaded guilty, had no prior criminal record, and could therefore receive a lighter sentence.
Key Points
- Mainland media reported on September 7 that the case had been decided by the People's Court of Weishi County in Kaifeng, Henan
- Court findings said Chen and Zhang had one daughter, divorced by agreement in January last year, but continued to live together afterward
- During kitchen work in May last year, Chen picked up a wooden-handled pointed knife from the sink area and threw it toward a refrigerator.
- The knife struck Zhang's chest, and the court found he died from cardiac rupture and heavy blood loss after the injury
- After the incident, Chen cooperated with police, admitted the offence, helped send Zhang to hospital with others, and was treated as a first-time offender.
Why It Matters
The case shows how a split-second act in a cramped workplace can lead to a homicide conviction even when the court accepts there was no apparent prior major conflict between the two people involved. For Hong Kong readers, it is also a reminder that criminal liability can arise from reckless handling of kitchen tools at work, even where the offence is classified as negligent rather than intentional.