[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Sung-yeol] A man in his 50s, who was tried for murdering a creditor after struggling to repay 3 million won borrowed from a neighbor in his 70s, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Noh Jeong-hee) announced on the 17th that it upheld the original sentence of life imprisonment in the appeal trial of A (53), who was charged with robbery-murder and corpse mutilation and abandonment.
Previously, between January and March 2019, A, who was working as a day laborer, borrowed 3 million won from his neighbor B (then 78 years old) due to a shortage of living expenses.
In April of last year, when B came to demand repayment, A asked for an extension, but when B refused, A was charged with murder. Additionally, A is accused of taking a silver ring, bracelet, and necklace worn by B and mutilating and abandoning the corpse.
A's side argued in court that "it was an impulsive crime" and "it was not a robbery-murder aimed at evading debt."
However, the first trial court stated the sentencing reasons, considering that "A testified to the investigative agency that he had thought about killing B to evade debt" and that he took the silver ring and other items during the corpse mutilation immediately after the murder.
The court said, "The crime is very serious as the victim was killed to avoid repaying a mere 3 million won loan, and the corpse was mutilated and abandoned in a very cruel manner," sentencing A to life imprisonment and ordering the attachment of an electronic tracking device for 20 years.
The second trial court dismissed A's appeal, and the Supreme Court also rejected the appeal, stating, "There is no error in the legal reasoning regarding the establishment of robbery-murder, and it cannot be said that the first trial court's decision to sentence life imprisonment, which the lower court upheld, is unjust."
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