[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A man in his 50s who was charged with killing his mother with a weapon after hearing the hallucination "Kill your mother" was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the appellate court.
According to the legal community on the 5th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Chief Judge Bae Junhyun) sentenced A (54), who was tried for killing a direct ascendant, to 10 years in prison, the same as the original trial. The original ruling, which ordered A to undergo medical custody and dismissed the prosecution's request for probation, was also upheld.
The court criticized, "This is an antisocial crime that severed the familial bond by killing the mother who had cared for him for a long time while he was suffering from a mental illness," and added, "Nevertheless, the defendant still seems to harbor resentment toward the victim." However, the court took into account favorable circumstances such as A showing a willingness to receive sincere treatment through medical custody.
A was indicted for stabbing and killing his mother B with a weapon at his home in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, at around 2:10 p.m. on December 23 last year. It was investigated that A committed the crime after hearing the hallucination, "If you don't want to go to Bukak Skyway, kill your mother." He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving treatment since 1990. However, it was reported that he stopped medication from October last year, two months before the crime, and showed symptoms such as delusions.
In the first trial, while acknowledging that A's crime was serious, the court considered that his ability to make decisions was impaired due to schizophrenia and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Both A and the prosecution appealed the verdict, but the second trial court dismissed all appeals last month.
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