"Only Pretended"... Denies Crime
Positive Urine Reaction Confirmed by National Forensic Service Analysis
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man in his 30s who was prosecuted for urinating on his girlfriend's luxury handbag during an argument was sentenced to a fine.
According to the court on the 13th, Judge Park Hyerim of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 13 recently sentenced A (31, male), who was charged with property damage, to a fine of 1.5 million won on the 10th.
Earlier, A was prosecuted for urinating on and pouring mouthwash into a 1.5 million won Louis Vuitton bag owned by his girlfriend B at her home in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on October 11 last year.
At the time, they were arguing over debt issues, and during the process, A was investigated to have taken the bag from B's room to the living room and committed the act.
Article 366 of the current Criminal Act states, "If a person damages or hides another person's property, documents, or electronic records, thereby impairing their utility, they shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 7 million won."
A denied the charges in court. A's lawyer claimed, "The defendant did not actually urinate on the bag but only pretended to do so."
However, the National Forensic Service analyzed a swab taken from inside the bag and found a positive reaction for urine. Male DNA was also detected.
The first trial judged A guilty based on the forensic results from the National Forensic Service and the police statements of A and B. It was reported that A had admitted to the act in his police statement.
Judge Park stated, "The defendant is a first-time offender and reached a settlement by paying money to the victim," but added, "The defendant does not appear to sincerely reflect on his wrongdoing, and the nature of the crime is serious." He also said, "Various sentencing factors such as the defendant's age, character, environment, the motive and circumstances of the crime, means, and results were taken into consideration."
A appealed the ruling.
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