A man in his 50s who became enraged and caused a disturbance after being stopped by a doctor while boasting about his father during a consultation was sentenced to a fine again in the second trial. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man who was prosecuted for causing a disturbance after becoming enraged when a doctor stopped him from boasting about his father during a medical consultation was sentenced to a fine again in the appellate court.
According to the court on the 5th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 5-2 (Presiding Judge Won Jeongsuk) recently sentenced Mr. A (50), who was indicted on charges of obstruction of business, assault, and property damage, to a fine of 2 million won, the same as in the first trial.
Earlier, Mr. A was prosecuted for causing a disturbance around 1:30 p.m. on May 1 last year at a hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where he was receiving treatment and kept boasting about his father. The hospital director (50) told him, "Stop and talk about yourself," which led to the disturbance.
He was investigated for shouting, "A doctor who is not even like a doctor is telling me what to do," and "He did not even graduate from Harvard Medical School but acts like that. He is a fraud."
Even after the police arrived following a 112 emergency call, he pushed the hospital director, spat on his face, tore up a card receipt and put it in his mouth, thereby obstructing hospital operations.
The next day, he visited the hospital again and caused a scene by shouting, "I won't leave the hospital alone," and "Nurses who can't do their job should quit," according to the investigation.
During the trial, Mr. A's side argued, "Even if such acts were committed, they occurred due to differences of opinion during the process of demanding a refund because the hospital director unfairly refused treatment," claiming that this was a justifiable act and thus lacked illegality. They also argued that the hospital CCTV footage should not be admissible as evidence due to privacy concerns.
The first trial sentenced him to a fine. It stated, "The defendant obstructed hospital operations by exerting force twice during his protest to the hospital staff," and "It is sufficiently recognized that he assaulted the victim and damaged property."
In the appellate court, Mr. A again denied the evidentiary value of the CCTV footage. He also appealed, saying, "The doctor mocked me first," and "Due to health reasons, I could not wear a mask properly, but the hospital director kept saying 'Wear your mask' and mockingly asked, 'If you feel that bad, how about carrying an oxygen tank?'"
The appellate court also rejected Mr. A's claims. The appellate court stated the reason for dismissing the appeal, saying, "It is difficult to consider the CCTV footage as containing sensitive information of the defendant, and there is no reason to doubt its evidentiary value," and "There is no change in sentencing conditions compared to the first trial."
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