Man kills himself in courtroom after being sentenced to four years in prison for drug offences

Died: Tyrel Martin Marhanka killed himself after being sentenced in a Taiwanese court
Laura Proto17 June 2016

An American man has died after slitting his throat in a courtroom as he was handed a four-year sentence for drug offences.

Tyrel Martin Marhanka, 41, who lived in Taiwan, had been charged with growing opium and marijuana at a rented house in Changhua County.

Moments after he was handed a four-year prison sentence, Marhanka allegedly shouted “I don’t want to live anymore” before he slashed his neck with a scissor blade.

The Taipei Times reported he severed at least one artery and he was pronounced dead in hospital.

Marhanka, who lived with his Taiwanese wife and two children, was arrested in April last year but reportedly told police the plants were a “hobby” and for his own consumption.

The court said Marhanka apparently smuggled two scissor blades into court by hiding them in a magazine tucked underneath his arm.

A metal detecting gate at Changhua District Court failed to detect the blades, the court said.

A statement from the court said: “We deeply regret that Tyrel Martin Marhanka killed himself during the sentencing.

“He was cooperative during the investigation and the trial. His attitude was mild and he did not show any signs that he would commit suicide.”

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