Dispute Over Farm Road... 70s Neighbor Murder Case Also Receives Heavy Sentence in 2nd Trial

A man in his 70s who killed a neighbor over a farm road dispute was sentenced to a heavy punishment, the same as in the first trial. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Min Jun-young Intern Reporter] A man in his 70s who was tried for killing a neighbor amid conflicts over blocking a farm road was sentenced to the same heavy punishment in the second trial as in the first trial.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Gwangju High Court (Presiding Judge Kim Tae-ho) announced on the 9th that it dismissed both the appeals of A (74), who was indicted on charges of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison in the first trial, and the prosecution in the appeal trial.

The court stated, "Considering the nature and method of the crime that took the victim's life, the criminal nature is extremely bad. The victim's family has not forgiven him. Taking into account the acknowledgment and remorse for the crime, and the fact that the crime occurred because he could not control his anger during the dispute, the original sentence is neither too heavy nor too light," rejecting both parties' claims.

A was previously indicted for killing B (69), who lived in the same village, by wielding a weapon in front of a rice paddy in Jeonnam region at around 9:50 a.m. on July 7 last year.

Investigations revealed that A and B had frequent disputes over farm road passage in the past, and their relationship worsened after B filed a complaint against A regarding livestock waste issues.

After the first trial sentencing, the prosecution appealed, claiming the sentence was too light, while A appealed, claiming the sentence was too heavy.