A Chinese man who killed a beauty clinic manager when she administered a lethal dose of anesthesia during a botched breast augmentation procedure has been sentenced to more than six years in jail.
Jie Shao, 40, appeared in Downing Centre District Court on Thursday to learn her fate after being found guilty of manslaughter over the death of Jean Huang nearly seven years ago.
Ms Huang died after a procedure to inject hyaluronic acid into her breasts at Medi Beauty Clinic in August 2017.
The cosmetic procedure was performed at the Chippendale clinic, where Ms. Huang was co-owner and manager.
The court heard that during the procedure, Ms Huang began convulsing and foaming at the mouth before going into cardiac arrest.
She was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital but was declared brain dead and taken off life support.
Shao pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of using a poison to endanger life involving the administration of the anesthetic lidocaine.
Shao fought the most serious charge of murder during a three-week trial but was found guilty in March this year.
“She had no intention of killing the deceased or causing her serious harm; it would be a case of murder if she had done so,” Judge Timothy Gartelmann said during his sentencing remarks on Thursday.
Jie Shao pleaded not guilty to manslaughter before being found guilty in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.
“But at least he was reckless in causing harm to the deceased, as his guilty plea to the alternative offence admits.”
And nearly seven years after the tragic incident, Shao sat in a courtroom, dressed in a black suit and with her hair up, as she was sentenced Thursday afternoon.
The court heard that during the procedure Shao administered the painkiller Tramadol, the local anaesthetic Lidocaine and breast filler.
The court heard that Ms Huang was injected with 2000mg of lidocaine, administered in ten syringes.
“The offender was not authorised to administer (lidocaine) and was not a registered medical practitioner in Australia,” Judge Gartelmann said.
‘The attacker injected the deceased with more than the maximum safe dose.’
After Ms. Shao injected her with lidocaine, Ms. Huang began to slur her words.
After Ms. Huang fainted, she suffered what appeared to be a seizure, vomited and changed color, Judge Gartelmann told the court on Thursday.
“The attacker continued the proceedings during these events,” said Judge Gartelmann.
The facility did not have the necessary resuscitation and safety equipment, meaning it was not authorized to perform the procedure.
Judge Gartelmann described how Ms Huang’s loved ones had expressed feelings of “emptiness and pain” following her death.
Earlier this year, the court heard that Ms Huang’s mother, Lily Huang, had described Ms Huang as the “light” of her family.
Jean Huang died after a breast augmentation procedure at her Chippendale clinic in central Sydney
Shao administered a lethal dose of anesthesia during the botched breast augmentation.
“Jean was not just my daughter – she was the light of our family – smart, beautiful, kind, generous and funny,” Lily Huang said in a victim impact statement read in court.
Shao arrived in Australia a few days before the procedure and was connected with the Chippendale clinic through a sister clinic in Melbourne.
The court heard that while Shao had a degree from Guangdong Medical University in China, she was not registered as a practising doctor in Australia or China.
The court heard Shao had expressed regret and blamed himself for what happened.
A murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
Judge Gartelmann took into account his clean criminal record and the fact that he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
Shao was sentenced on Thursday to six years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.
The court heard she had already served 268 days of pretrial detention (including immigration detention) and with time served she will be eligible for release for the first time in December 2026.
Outside court, Shao’s lawyer, Jeff Chan, said his client was “very remorseful.”
“She’s very upset, but it is what it is,” Chan said.
A nurse, Yueqiong Fu, who helped perform the procedure on Ms Huang, was sentenced in 2019 to a two-year good behaviour bond.
Fu pleaded guilty to recklessly administering poison and providing false statements.