'Pretending to be a wedding guest' and caught passing meal tickets, assaults staff... "Consider dementia and other factors"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man in his 60s who assaulted a wedding hall employee after entering a buffet with a meal ticket he obtained by pretending to be a wedding guest was sentenced to a fine with a suspended sentence.

On the 27th, according to the court, Judge Shin Hyun-il of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 7 sentenced A (61, male), who was charged with fraud and injury, to a fine of 1 million won with a one-year suspended sentence.

Earlier, A was prosecuted on charges of fraud for pretending to be a guest and taking a 55,000 won buffet meal ticket from a bride’s reception desk at a wedding hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 10:50 a.m. on December 18 last year. He was not related to either the groom or bride’s side.

At the time, A headed to the banquet hall where the food was laid out with the meal ticket but was caught by wedding hall employee B (37, male). During his escape, he assaulted B by kicking his shin and biting his hand, causing injuries that required 14 days of medical treatment, and was charged accordingly.

During the trial, A’s side submitted medical certificates and referral letters, claiming that he committed the crime in a state of diminished mental capacity due to dementia and other conditions.

The first trial stated, "The defendant admits his wrongdoing and has only one minor prior conviction for a fine," and sentenced him to a fine with a suspended sentence. Judge Shin said, "The defendant was in a state of diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime, and the financial gain obtained was not significant," adding, "Considering the settlement with B and other sentencing factors."

In 2015, the National Assembly passed a revision to the Criminal Act, known as the 'Jangbaljang Act,' allowing suspended sentences to be imposed even for fines. Article 62, Paragraph 1 of the current Criminal Act stipulates that "when sentencing imprisonment or detention of three years or less, or a fine of 5 million won or less, the execution of the sentence may be suspended for a period of one to five years."