Taiwan Court Sentences Community Manager Over Death Threat to Tenants' Chairman
A Taiwan community manager was sentenced to three months in prison for threatening a tenants' chairman after being caught sleeping. An appeals court overturned his initial acquittal.
A community manager in Taichung, Taiwan, has been sentenced to three months in prison after being convicted of threatening to kill a tenants' association chairman following a dispute that started when he was caught snoring on the office floor.
The Incident and Escalation
The incident occurred on November 19, 2023. The tenants' association chairman arrived at the office after a resident complained about snoring sounds and found the community manager sleeping on the floor. The chairman reported the incident to the property management company, leading to an emergency meeting around 11:00 PM during which a heated argument broke out. According to UDN, one of Taiwan's major media outlets, the manager claimed he was being harassed, threw objects, and was eventually asked to leave.
After leaving, the manager returned to collect his personal items. According to Liberty Times Net, he told the on-duty security guard that he would kill the chairman, and then went outside to smoke. The guard quickly passed the message along, fearing for the safety of residents and employees. The chairman filed a complaint, noting that the manager knew his schedule and that he and his family lived on the premises.
Court Rulings and Appeal
The Taichung District Court initially acquitted the community manager, ruling that since the threat was not made directly to the chairman and the manager did not explicitly ask the guard to pass it on, criminal intent was not proven.
However, the Taichung High Court overturned the acquittal. The judges ruled that as part of his duties, a security guard is expected to report threats that could endanger residents or employees. Therefore, the manager should have anticipated that the guard would relay the threat.
The court found the guard's testimony reliable, as he reported the statements immediately and testified in court. Ultimately, the three-month prison sentence was upheld, though the manager is permitted to commute the sentence to a fine.
