60s Sentenced to Prison in Second Trial for Killing Seafood with Bleach at Store

Convicted of Special Property Damage, Sentenced to 10 Months in First Trial
Sentence Reduced to 6 Months in Appeal

On the 29th, at the Suhyup Gangseo Wholesale Market in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

A woman in her 60s who poured bleach into seafood such as flatfish and rockfish kept in a neighbor's store aquarium, causing their death, was sentenced to prison in the appellate court.

According to the local legal community on the 18th, the Daejeon District Court's 2nd Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Choi Hyung-cheol) overturned the first trial's sentence of 10 months imprisonment and sentenced A (67, female), who was charged with special property damage, to 6 months imprisonment.

A is accused of visiting a seafood store in Taean-gun, Chungnam Province, at 5:10 p.m. on September 17, 2020, pouring bleach into the aquarium, causing the death of 35 rockfish and flatfish and 10 octopuses, damaging property worth about 1.5 million won.

The first trial court sentenced A to 10 months imprisonment, but A appealed, claiming the sentence was unfair.

The appellate court stated, "The defendant secretly poured bleach, which is fatal to humans, into the aquarium of a neighboring seafood store, causing the death of seafood intended for consumption, which is a very serious offense," and added, "The victim has not forgiven the defendant and repeatedly petitions for severe punishment."

It continued, "However, the defendant admitted the crime and showed remorse during this trial and deposited an amount equivalent to the value of the dead seafood," and explained the sentencing reason, "Considering there are no prior convictions exceeding fines or similar offenses and the defendant's poor health condition, the first trial's judgment was heavy and can be seen as unfair."