30s Man Who Killed Father Saying "I Threw Away the Diary" Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison in Appeal Trial

Appeal Dismissed, First Trial Upheld
First Trial Court: "Family's Lifelong Suffering... Considering Schizophrenia"

A man in his 30s who killed his father in his 60s out of anger over the belief that his diary had been thrown away was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the appellate court as well.

According to the legal community on the 22nd, the 3-3 Criminal Division of the Suwon High Court (Presiding Judges Heo Yang-yoon, Won Ik-seon, Kim Dong-gyu) sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s charged with parricide, to 18 years in prison, the same as the original trial.

On this day, the appellate court stated the reason for dismissing the appeal, saying, "The original court's judgment is justifiable and acceptable, and even after comprehensively reviewing the sentencing conditions again, it is difficult to see that the original sentence exceeded the reasonable range of discretion."

Suwon District Court, Suwon High Court exterior [Image source=Yonhap News]

Mr. A was indicted for stabbing his father, Mr. B (66), multiple times in the neck and face with a weapon while he was sleeping at their residence in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, at 8:52 p.m. on June 6 last year, resulting in his death. It was investigated that he committed the crime out of anger over the belief that Mr. B had thrown away his diary.

Previously, the first trial court sentenced Mr. A to 18 years in prison and ordered him to wear an electronic tracking device for 10 years. The first trial court stated, "It is unclear whether the father actually threw away Mr. A's diary or if it was merely Mr. A's misunderstanding, but he killed the father who cared for him for such a trivial reason," adding, "It is difficult to imagine the feelings of the victim who was cruelly attacked by his son, the defendant, without understanding the reason, and the surviving family members will likely have to live with pain and sorrow that will be difficult to overcome for the rest of their lives."

Furthermore, the court added, "Despite committing a serious crime, the defendant is avoiding responsibility by making excuses such as blaming the victim's past words and actions or delusions, raising doubts about whether the defendant is truly remorseful. However, considering his mental health condition, including suffering from schizophrenia, the sentence is determined accordingly."