Man who pushed wife off a cliff has life term cut to 10 years by Thai court

The former wife said the ruling sets a bad precedent that incentives desperate people to commit terrible crimes

The woman miraculously survived but was forced to abort her baby due to injuries suffered during the fall

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The sentence of Yu Xiaodong (centre, on phone), for deliberately pushing his wife off a cliff was reduced to 10 years after a second trial in Thailand. Photo: Royal Thai Police

Published: 11:12pm, 27 May 2021Updated: 12:34am, 28 May 2021

A court in Thailand reduced a life imprisonment sentence for a Chinese man who pushed his pregnant wife off a cliff to 10 years on Tuesday.

The woman, named Wang Nan, who survived the 34-metre (112-foot) fall but was severely injured, said she would appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Thailand after receiving the judgment of the second hearing.

“I was so shocked by this decision that I could not eat or sleep. I cannot accept it at all,” said Wang, who aborted her baby due to multiple bone injuries from the fall in June 2019. She still struggles with the physical effects of the injuries.

Wang Nang is supported by rescuers in Thailand. She said she was deliberately pushed off the cliff by her husband. Photo: Handout

The husband, Yu Xiaodong, made a legal appeal against an attempted murder conviction handed down last year.

Wang’s lawyer, Shi Datuo, said the judge in the second trial reduced the punishment because there was not enough evidence for intentional murder. The man was convicted of an attempted manslaughter charge instead.