A man in his 50s, who was charged with stabbing a former colleague with a weapon for talking about his financial situation to others, was sentenced to probation in the appellate court. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] A man in his 50s (Mr. A), who was charged with stabbing his former colleague with a weapon, received a suspended sentence in the appellate court, the same as in the first trial. It is known that he stabbed his colleague while intoxicated because the colleague had shared his financial situation with others.
The Gwangju High Court announced on the 1st that it dismissed the prosecutor's appeal in the appellate trial of Mr. A, who was charged with attempted murder.
In the first trial, Mr. A was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspension, probation, 80 hours of community service, and 40 hours each of alcohol and gambling treatment lectures.
The appellate court ruled, "Although the prosecutor appealed claiming the sentence was too light and unfair, the circumstances cited by the prosecutor as sentencing factors in the appellate trial appear to have already been presented or considered during the first trial," rejecting the prosecutor's claims.
On February 13th at around 5 a.m., Mr. A went to find his former colleague Mr. B (56), who was unloading goods in front of a convenience store warehouse in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Mr. A stabbed Mr. B twice with a weapon and fled, leading to charges of attempted murder. Mr. B escaped to the convenience store after being stabbed, reported to the police, and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Mr. A, a truck driver, had been working under an arrangement where he refueled on credit guaranteed by Mr. B and deducted the cost from his salary but left the job without repaying the fuel charges. It was revealed that he committed the crime out of anger and resentment because Mr. B spoke negatively about his financial situation to others.
The first trial court pointed out, "Considering the circumstances and method of Mr. A's crime, the extent and danger of the victim's injuries, the guilt is serious." However, the first trial also considered that "Mr. A deeply reflected on his wrongdoing, the crime was only attempted, Mr. B did not suffer serious physical damage or lasting disabilities, Mr. A paid Mr. B 21 million won and reached a settlement, and Mr. A cooperated with the investigation."
The prosecutor appealed, arguing that the sentence was too light.
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