Imprisoned for 2 Years and 6 Months in Appeal
Repeated Crimes Lead to Dismissal
Claims of "Diminished Mental Capacity" in Both First and Second Trials
A public official in his 50s who caused a traffic accident while intoxicated and even assaulted his wife was sentenced to prison in the appellate court. This official had previously committed a series of crimes, including air conditioner theft and assaults on a bus driver and police officers, but had received leniency.
On the 26th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Gangneung Branch of Chuncheon District Court (Presiding Judge Kwon Sang-pyo) announced that A (57), who was indicted on charges including drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, dangerous driving causing injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, special assault, and violation of the Domestic Violence Punishment Act, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and fined 300,000 won, the same as the original trial.
A was tried for hitting a passenger car ahead while driving in a state of intoxication with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.230% around 11 p.m. on May 28 last year, causing injuries requiring four weeks of medical treatment to the driver B (37). At the time, it was raining and the road was wet, so the speed limit was supposed to be below 40 km/h, but A drove at 121 to 123 km/h.
Additionally, on July 23 of the same year, A was charged with verbally abusing and assaulting his wife C with fists, feet, and a mobile phone during a dispute over money. The indictment also included violating a temporary court order to vacate the home and not enter it.
A, who was a public official in Sokcho City, was given a suspended prosecution in June 2022 after stealing an air conditioner and outdoor unit owned by the county office along with another city hall official from a public restroom in Goseong County, Gangwon Province. In July of that year, he was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation after assaulting a bus driver and police officers in succession. Due to these repeated criminal acts, A was eventually dismissed from his position.
A claimed diminished mental capacity in both the first and second trials. However, the court rejected this, stating, "The nature and circumstances of the crimes do not appear to have been influenced by a diminished mental state." The court further stated, "The sentence in the original trial did not exceed the reasonable range of discretion, and there are no changed conditions that would justify altering the sentence in this appeal," thus dismissing the appeal.
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