Written by Joyce Nzomo
Jennifer Mui Len Chin has been found guilty of causing bodily harm after stabbing her 14-year-old daughter’s secret boyfriend at her home in Parkwood, Australia. The verdict was delivered on Friday, three hours after the jury retired to deliberate.
Chin, who admitted to the stabbing, claimed she believed the bare-chested boy whom she found hiding under a doona in her husband’s bedroom was a naked intruder. She said she panicked and feared for her children’s safety, asking her six-year-old son to fetch a kitchen knife before stabbing the teen near the front door of their home.
The court heard that Chin’s daughter, also 14, had snuck the teen into the house on multiple occasions, defying her mother’s strict Christian ban on dating. On the night in question, Chin became suspicious, forced open the bedroom door, and discovered the boy under the covers.
During the confrontation, Chin demanded to know who he was. The boy reportedly only said, “I’m sorry,” while the daughter claimed he was homeless and she was trying to help him. Chin, panicked and convinced he was a threat, grabbed a knife and stabbed him twice in the chest, claiming he had taken a step toward her and appeared “cocky.”
Prosecutor Chadd Graham rejected Chin’s self-defence claim, arguing the teen posed no threat and was in fact trying to flee. He said Chin acted out of anger over the forbidden relationship, noting she never called emergency services after the stabbing, despite her daughter leaving the house with the injured boy.
Chin’s lawyer, Mark Andrews, argued it was a chaotic moment and she feared her daughter could have been under threat or coercion. He defended her right to act against what she believed was a home intruder.
The court heard the boy suffered two chest wounds and minor cuts on his back. His father welcomed the guilty verdict and said his son had been left traumatized and scarred for life.
Judge Belinda Lonsdale said while Chin is not considered a risk of reoffending, the offence was serious and could carry a custodial sentence.
Chin remains out on bail and will return to court for sentencing on September 3.
