Sun Anzuo (currently known as Sun Jianhao), the son of Taiwanese celebrities Sun Peng and Di Ying, was recently detained after testing a homemade flamethrower by the riverside and posting the video online. Authorities also found the flamethrower and a modified shotgun at his residence. He is being held on suspicion of five crimes, including making threats to the public, attempted arson, and violating the Firearms Act. On the 17th, the Shilin District Court ruled for his detention and incommunicado custody. Upon hearing that Sun Anzuo was in trouble again, prominent internet lawyer “Ba Mao Lawyer” Chen Yu-an commented that, given Sun’s history of repeated offenses, there is a significant possibility the court will deliver a heavy sentence.
Ba Mao Lawyer pointed out that of the charges Sun is facing, the most serious is not public safety or threatening the public, but rather violating Article 7 of the Firearms, Ammunition and Knives Control Act: “Anyone who, without permission, manufactures, sells, or transports standard or non-standard firearms, shoulder weapons, machine guns, submachine guns, bayonet guns, automatic rifles, ordinary rifles, muskets, pistols, or all types of ammunition, bombs, or explosives shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or not less than 7 years’ imprisonment, and may also be fined up to NTD 30 million (about MYR 3.77 million).”
Ba Mao Lawyer recalled two firearm cases he previously handled — one involved making explosives to go fish-blasting, the other was a harebrained scheme to sell firearms. In these cases, because the individuals either turned themselves in or failed to complete the crimes, Ba Mao Lawyer worked hard to seek leniency under Article 59 of the Criminal Code, which allows for reduced sentences due to extenuating circumstances. Additionally, both defendants had no criminal records. As a result, one received a nine-month sentence, and the other five years’ probation — both quite lucky outcomes. In contrast, Ba Mao Lawyer said Sun Anzuo’s case will be much harder to argue as having any extenuating circumstances, especially since he already has a checkered past. “All we can hope for now is that the firearms found in his house turn out to be non-lethal; otherwise, the chances of a several-year heavy sentence are really not small.”