A Kaohsiung police officer has been sentenced to 40 days' detention for sending death threats to his Thai ex-wife, a rare case of an officer punished for intimidation.

• The officer was angry that his ex-wife told friends he was a police officer and offered to use his position to help them, which got him investigated by his superiors.
• He sent her repeated messages on LINE threatening to travel to Thailand and kill her family; she went to the police in fear.
• He admitted sending the messages but denied intent, blaming an emotional breakdown after alleged domestic abuse and the internal probe.
• The court refused probation, saying an officer who wields state power broke a law he knew well and showed no remorse.
• His ex-wife withdrew the complaint and he had no prior record, but the judge still imposed the sentence, convertible to a fine.

Outlook: The ruling can still be appealed, and the internal police investigation into his conduct is likely to continue.