[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A man in his 70s who killed another patient in the same psychiatric hospital room by covering his nose and mouth because he was being noisy was sentenced to a heavy prison term in the first trial.
The Criminal Division 13 of Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Ho Seong-ho) sentenced A (74), who was detained and indicted on charges of murder, to 12 years in prison at the sentencing hearing held on the 11th. The court also ordered probation, prohibiting him from approaching the victim's family by any means.
The court stated, "Human life is an absolutely protected value, and murder is a serious crime that must be severely punished," adding, "The victim, who was bound, must have suffered considerable physical and mental pain as he slowly died."
It also ruled, "The defendant did not take any measures to restore the damage," but "considering that he has no prior criminal record and that alcoholic dementia appears to have partially influenced the crime, the sentence was determined."
A was indicted for fracturing the neck bone of B, a man in his 40s who shared the same room in a psychiatric hospital in Incheon last July, and for covering B's nose and mouth with the string that was binding him, causing his death.
On the day of the crime, B was tied to the bed by medical staff because he was continuously shouting loudly, and A committed the crime because B kept making noise. Two other patients in the six-person room were unable to prevent the crime due to mobility difficulties.
In the police investigation, A stated, "B, who shared the room with me for 4 to 5 months before the crime, often shouted loudly and disturbed my sleep."
During the trial, he also claimed innocence, saying, "It is true that I covered the victim's mouth with the string at the time, but I did not cover his nose," and "I had no intention to block the victim's breathing and kill him."
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