TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The chief suspect in the beating of a student following a traffic accident involving a Maserati in 2021 was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Taichung District Court on Wednesday (March 1).

Sung (宋), 18, a student at Feng Chia University, was driving a car in Taichung early on Nov. 7, 2021, when he sideswiped a Maserati while changing lanes near an intersection.

The three men in the Italian luxury car, the driver Lee Wei-sen (李韋霖), 25, Chang Tun-liang (張敦量), 23, and Chen Ching-hao (陳勁豪), 19, assaulted Sung with a baseball bat, leaving him in a coma for several days.

Chang was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempted murder and illegal confinement causing injuries, while Lee and Chen received jail terms of four years and eight months each for causing Sung grave injuries and for illegal confinement, the Liberty Times reported. The sentences can be appealed.

Chang was not only seen as the most violent perpetrator but also incited public outrage by filing charges against Sung for causing him injuries. Chang initially offered to pay NT$1.5 million (US$49,000) in compensation, which he claimed to be the value of the Maserati owned by his mother. However, the court disputed the sum and pointed out that Chang’s father ran a food company.

Reacting to the verdict Wednesday, Sung’s mother expressed dissatisfaction, though she added she respected the court’s judgment, per UDN. She noted that homicide was punishable by a prison sentence of at least 10 years, so she said she would consult with her attorney whether to file an appeal in Chang’s case, though not for Lee and Chen.

As her son has not fully recovered, he might interrupt his studies and rest for a time with family outside of Taichung, she told reporters.