Brother who gathered accomplices to steal younger brother's money, beaten with a blunt weapon but younger brother hopes for leniency

Daegu High Court.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A man in his 30s and his accomplices, who recruited partners to steal money from his younger brother and attempted to carry out the crime, were sentenced to prison again in the second trial.

The older brother and his accomplices met in an online cafe, agreed to steal and share the younger brother’s money, and attacked him. However, they fled after strong resistance and were eventually caught. During the investigation, the victimized younger brother learned that his older brother had led the crime.

On the 31st, according to the Daegu High Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Yang Young-hee), the second trial court sentenced four accomplices in their 20s and 30s to prison for charges including robbery causing injury and violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts.

Two accomplices, including the older brother Mr. A, were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison, while the other two accomplices received sentences of 6 years and 4 months and 4 years and 6 months, respectively.

They were prosecuted for attacking Mr. A’s younger brother in his 20s at an apartment in Dalseo-gu, Daegu, on July 2 last year, causing injuries requiring six weeks of medical treatment, and then fleeing.

In June last year, Mr. A posted a message about “high-paying part-time job recruitment” on an online community. Three people who saw the post contacted Mr. A. Using the Telegram messenger, Mr. A tempted them by saying, “My younger brother has saved some money at home, so let’s steal it and share it.” He then provided detailed information to his accomplices, including the home address, family’s outing times, the password for the shared entrance, and the locations of security cameras.

The three accomplices stayed together for four days to plan the crime, agreeing to attack the younger brother when he was alone, find out where the money was kept, and seize it. They divided roles such as preparing tools and executing the crime.

On July 2 last year, at 2 p.m., two of the accomplices went to Mr. A’s house and rang the doorbell. They pretended to be delivery people, and when Mr. A’s younger brother opened the door, they immediately rushed inside. The accomplices struck the younger brother’s head multiple times with a metal tool.

However, despite being covered in blood, Mr. A’s younger brother fiercely resisted with a physical struggle. Eventually, the accomplices fled, and they were caught by the police following the younger brother’s report.

Mr. A, the victim’s older brother, was also arrested, revealing that he had initially planned the crime.

According to the police investigation, the money targeted by Mr. A from his younger brother was not a large amount. The brothers reportedly did not have a bad relationship normally. The younger brother was greatly shocked to learn that the crime was led by his older brother. It was also found that Mr. A had been suffering from mental illnesses such as depression.

In January, the first trial court sentenced one accomplice who committed the crime during a probation period to 5 years in prison, and sentenced Mr. A and another accomplice who attacked the victim to 4 years and 6 months each.

Another accomplice was sentenced to 4 years in prison. They appealed, claiming the sentences were too harsh, but prison sentences were upheld in the recent second trial.

The second trial court stated, “Since the crime was planned and led against a younger brother, the nature of the crime is very serious,” adding, “Considering that the crime was attempted but not completed, the defendants reached an agreement with the victim, and the victim requested leniency.”

Among the accomplices, Mr. A is in his 30s, and the other three are all in their 20s. The younger brother pleaded for leniency for his older brother, who has suffered from depression, to the court.

In the second trial, three of the four accomplices, including the victim’s older brother, received slight sentence reductions, but one accomplice who committed the crime during the probation period was sentenced to a longer prison term of 6 years and 4 months than in the original trial.