Business Partner Slapped and Fell, Resulting in Permanent Disability... 40s Sentenced to Prison

Defendant / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] A man in his 40s who was prosecuted for seriously injuring his business partner by slapping him once during an argument was sentenced to prison.

The Criminal Division 15 of Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Pyo Geukchang) announced on the 19th that it changed the charge against A (42), who was indicted for serious injury, to assault causing injury and sentenced him to two years in prison.

In court, A claimed, "I slapped B's face with my palm, and B fell backward," adding, "I tried to help B, who was lying down, to stand up, but B pushed my arm away and fell backward, hitting his head on the floor."

The court stated that although A's claims were inconsistent, it was difficult to prove intent to cause injury, so the charge was changed to assault causing injury.

The court ruled, "If the defendant's claim is true, it is unlikely that a fracture of the right skull occurred," and "It is recognized that the victim, who was slapped on the left cheek, fell and hit his head on the floor, causing injury."

Furthermore, the court explained the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant has not sincerely reflected on his wrongdoing, shifting responsibility to the victim, and has not made efforts to compensate the victim, thus not receiving forgiveness from the victim's family," but also considered "the assault was not severe."

Earlier, on September 25, 2017, around 10 p.m., A is accused of slapping his intoxicated business partner B once on the cheek during a dispute over money on a street in Seo-gu, Incheon, causing serious injury.

As a result of A's assault, B fell backward, hitting his head on the floor, which led to a fracture of the right skull and brain hemorrhage, resulting in a diagnosis of 'permanent cognitive impairment' that is practically untreatable.