"Did Not Answer Phone"... 40s Man Threatens Cohabitant with Pet Dog's Corpse After Killing It

Sent About 70 Photos of Deceased Dog and Blood-Stained Weapon... Also Charged with Stalking

A man in his 40s was sentenced to prison for brutally killing his pet dog and then threatening his cohabiting partner by bringing the corpse to her workplace.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] A man in his 40s was sentenced to prison in the first trial for brutally killing his pet dog, which he had raised for three years, with a weapon and then threatening his cohabiting girlfriend by bringing the corpse to her workplace.

The Incheon District Court Criminal Division 13 (Judge Im Eun-ha) sentenced A (44), who was detained and prosecuted on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act and the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes (Stalking Punishment Act), to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the 21st. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program.

The court stated, "The pet dog, which should be respected as a life, was used as a target for venting anger, showing a very bad nature of the crime."

It added, "The victim must have felt tremendous fear and anxiety due to the threats and stalking behavior," and explained the sentencing reason by saying, "Considering that the offender was not forgiven by the victim."

A was detained and prosecuted on charges of kicking the pet dog and killing it with a weapon at his home in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, at 5:36 p.m. on November 18 last year.

According to the investigation, the crime was committed because A was angry that his cohabiting girlfriend B did not answer her phone and the pet dog distracted her attention. Afterwards, A made a video call to B showing the severed pet dog’s corpse, and an hour later, he personally went to B’s workplace carrying the corpse and threatened her.

A is also accused of stalking by sending B about 70 times photos of the pet dog’s corpse and the blood-stained weapon over three days.

Meanwhile, this case is the first instance in Incheon where an order to complete a stalking treatment program was issued. According to the Stalking Punishment Act, which was first enforced in October last year, a court can impose an order to complete a stalking treatment program within 200 hours upon a guilty verdict for stalking crimes.