Taiwanese woman jailed for poisoning Queensland university student
Updated ,first published
A Taiwanese woman who attempted to kill a Queensland university exchange student with rat poison has been sentenced to 11 years and two months in a Taiwan prison.
Alex Shorey, from Toowoomba, was 24 when he was admitted to hospital in northern Taiwan several times in 2023, and his family arranged a medical charter flight to bring him home.
In late 2024, the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office charged Yang Chin-ping, a woman in her 40s with whom Shorey had an on-and-off relationship, with attempted murder.
Shorey had been in Taiwan for almost a year, conducting a Chinese exchange program. The Taiwanese court heard the man planned to cut off contact with Yang before returning to Australia.
Prosecutors said Yang poisoned the student to prevent her from leaving by forcing her to seek his care.
Local media reported On one occasion, Yang created a form denying Shorey admission to intensive care and tricked the young man’s father into signing it.
Prosecutors said Yang mixed rat poison into Shorey’s food and drinks at least three times in 2023, first adding it to grape juice in March, causing Shorey to be hospitalized for nosebleeds and stomach pain.
In April, Shorey was diagnosed with suspected poisoning from superwarfarin, or a substance similar to rat poison.
Shorey was poisoned a third time on April 16; Meanwhile, his father, Stephen Shorey, was in the country to arrange for his son to return to Australia for treatment.
Court heard he mixed the poison a synthetic stimulant and added it to a dish.
Shorey’s father insisted that his son be admitted to intensive care despite Yang’s letter.
The student’s condition worsened to the point of organ failure, followed by severe allergic reactions to his treatment.
He flew to Brisbane on a medical charter flight in early May and was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital on arrival.
In 2023, Shorey’s parents said medical repatriation likely saved their son’s life.
Giving evidence in March this year, Shorey’s mother told the court she found an empty bottle of superwarfarin while cleaning the flat her son was renting.
Yang denied that she planned to use the poison on Shorey, insisting instead that it was for her as she dealt with the loss of her husband.
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