[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Three men in their 20s who extorted money from fellow soldiers during military service and drove them to death have been sentenced to heavy prison terms by the Supreme Court.
On the morning of the 23rd, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Ahn Cheolsang) and 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dongwon) upheld the original sentences of 8 to 11 years in prison for the three appellants, including Mr. A, who were charged in connection with the so-called 'Seosan Hand Axe Incident'.
They stated, "There is no error in the lower court's judgment regarding the establishment of the crime of robbery resulting in death, joint perpetration, the causal relationship and foreseeability of the resulting aggravated offense."
They were prosecuted for forcing the victim, who served in the military with them, to write a promissory note for 10 million won or transferring 350,000 won by showing a hand axe on the rooftop of the victim's residence in Seosan, Chungnam, on August 8, 2021. The victim took their own life on the day of the threats.
Investigations revealed that Mr. A and others planned the crime in advance by exchanging messages and phone calls with content such as "There is one easy target" and "Let's make him take out a loan."
The first and second trials found all the accused guilty. The second trial court pointed out, "The defendants' conspiracy and participation are recognized. Furthermore, the defendants were aware that the victim, who was usually friendly with them, had a more timid personality than the average person," adding, "The threats continued until just before the estimated time of death, and it was foreseeable that the victim could take extreme measures due to the special robbery crime."
The first trial sentenced Mr. A and Mr. B to 10 years and 8 years in prison, respectively. The appellate court maintained these sentences. Mr. C, who was an active-duty soldier at the time of the incident, was initially sentenced to 5 years in prison by a military court for special robbery but had his sentence increased to 11 years through an appeal trial held in a civilian court.
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