A Surrey woman’s 12-year sentence for a knife and hammer attack in a Vancouver courtroom stands after the B.C. Court of Appeal dismisses her challenge.
Sentence Upheld in Violent Vancouver Court Attack
Long Feud Turns Violent
A Surrey woman has lost her appeal to overturn a 12-year prison sentence for attempted murder after attacking a rival with a knife and hammer in a Vancouver courtroom.
Qin Shen, 53, was convicted in 2023 of attempting to kill Jing Lu, a woman with whom she had been embroiled in a bitter online feud dating back nearly two decades.
A Conflict Born Online
Court records show that Shen and Lu met in 2005 through a website for Chinese immigrants in Canada. Their interactions quickly deteriorated into personal attacks and defamatory posts.
Lu sued Shen for defamation in 2016, and Shen countersued. Both were found liable, with damages ordered on both sides. Before that judgment was finalized, Shen was found in contempt for breaching a court order not to post about Lu online.
The Day of the Attack
The violence erupted on May 25, 2021, during a contempt-of-court hearing at the Vancouver Law Courts. According to court findings, Shen arrived prepared — arming herself with a knife and hammer, dressing in red to hide blood stains, drinking alcohol for courage, and bringing a suitcase to either flee or surrender after the attack.
As both women waited for the judge, Shen attacked Lu from behind, delivering multiple hammer blows and stabbing her at least ten times before a sheriff intervened, preventing what could have been a fatal outcome.
Appeal and Arguments
In her appeal to the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Shen argued her mental illness — including depression, anxiety, and mild alcohol-use disorder — contributed to her actions and should have mitigated her moral blameworthiness. Her lawyer asked that the sentence be reduced to six years.
The Crown maintained that Shen’s calculated planning and the brutality of the attack justified the original 12-year term, which was already below the 16 to 18 years sought by prosecutors.
Court’s Decision and Reasoning
Justice Gail Dickson, writing for a panel that included Justices Karen Horsman and Lisa Warren, dismissed the appeal on October 20, 2024.
“The judge was in the best position to evaluate the evidence,” Dickson wrote. “I see no error in her assessment of Ms. Shen’s moral blameworthiness or the conclusion that she drew.”
The court ruled that the trial judge properly weighed Shen’s mental health issues but found her deliberate preparation and intent to kill outweighed any mitigating factors.
Broader Implications
The decision underscores the court’s stance that premeditated violence within judicial settings demands severe penalties. It also highlights how online hostility can spiral into real-world tragedy.
Shen remains incarcerated, serving her 12-year sentence for attempted murder — a case that stands as a chilling reminder of how virtual disputes can turn deadly.
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