A woman brutally attacked in a Vancouver Supreme Court hearing room in 2021 says she will live in fear of her attacker for the rest of her life.
Shen Jing Lu made her victim impact statement as part of sentencing submissions on May 8 in the case of Qin Qin Shen, who was convicted in February of attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon.
"The reason I came to court was to seek justice, but in the process, I almost lost my life," Lu told Judge Kathryn Denhoff.
The Crown is seeking 16-18 years in prison for Shen, while the defence has suggested six years.
"You're a decade apart in your submissions," Denhoff told Crown prosecutor Jacinta Lawton and defence lawyer Scott Wright.
However, proceedings ground to a halt as Denhoff raised concerns about not having enough information about Shen's mental illness at the time of the offence to arrive at a fit sentence.
That issue remains a live one for the court despite Denhoff rejecting a not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder defence in the "vicious attack."
The judge said there was evidence Shen suffered from depression and anxiety, but she did not have enough information on how they might be linked to the commission of the offences.
"I'm concerned I don't have enough evidence to know one way or another," Denhoff said.
The charges arose from an attack on Lu, with whom Shen had a contentious relationship for years, starting in 2005 with a growing online feud that eventually spilled into the courts. The court heard that the two had attacked each other, their social status and each other's families.
The court has also heard Shen believed Lu wanted to kill her and boil her son to death in oil.
It culminated with Shen going to a May 25, 2021 civil hearing at the Vancouver Law Courts and attacking Lu with a hammer and knife, Denhoff said.
As far as the not criminally responsible suggestion went, the judge had to decide if Shen had had a mental disorder at the time of the incident and that she knew her actions were wrong.
After hearing from three psychiatrists and hearing medical reports from before and after the incident, she concluded Shen had gone to the courthouse intending to harm Lu.
"Ms. Shen had specific intent to kill Ms. Lu," Denhoff said. "I find Ms. Shen guilty of all four charges."
Still, Denhoff would like to hear further evidence on Shen's mental illness. Lawton and Wright agreed to contact the psychiatrist who had worked extensively with Shen to have him testify as part of the sentencing proceedings.
Victim impact statement
Lu's voice cracked repeatedly as she recounted the impacts of Shen's behaviour over the years before the attack.
"I felt like I was being tortured," she said.
She said she moved to Canada for a peaceful life. "I never expected I would run into a person like Qin Qin Shen."
Lu said Shen obsessed about her for a decade, making her feel unsafe. She said she sought action in the civil courts to stop the situation.
"I almost died in court," she said.
Lu told Denhoff she could hear Shen talking as the assault happened.
"Even when I was laying on the court floor bleeding, she was saying, 'It's her fault. It's her fault.'"
Lu said she still cannot understand how pursuing a civil court case could almost come at the cost of her life and has caused her "tremendous emotional and psychological stress."
As Lu spoke, Shen sat emotionless in the prisoner's dock, arms crossed on her chest.
