70-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison for Hitting Bus Driver's Head and Swearing While Drunk

Daegu District Court.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] “Where is the bus going? Hey, you XX!”

A man in his 70s was sentenced to prison for verbally abusing and assaulting a bus driver while intoxicated.

On the 10th, the Daegu District Court Criminal Division 11 (Chief Judge Lee Sang-oh) announced that A (72), who was indicted on charges including assaulting a driver (violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes), was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

A was charged with hitting the head of B, a bus driver in his 40s, after boarding a bus at the bus stop in front of Daegu Station, Jung-gu, Daegu, at 8:18 p.m. on March 16, causing a concussion injury requiring two weeks of treatment.

While intoxicated, A asked, “Where is the bus going?” and when B replied, “I’m going to Beommul-dong,” A suddenly started cursing.

When B responded, “If you want to be treated with respect as an elder, behave properly,” A, in a fit of anger, hit B’s head hard, according to the investigation.

The court stated, “The circumstances of the crime are bad as the assault occurred after drunken verbal abuse, and the degree of assault is not light. The defendant has a history of more than 20 criminal punishments.”

It also explained the sentencing by saying, “Considering that the defendant admitted the crime, is reflecting on his wrongdoing, and that the victim who reached a settlement does not want punishment.”