A man in his 50s who indiscriminately assaulted a passing high school girl sentenced to 6 years in prison in the first trial... Prosecutors appeal

Repeatedly assaulted with a blunt object... also strangled
Prosecutors demand 15 years imprisonment, appeal saying "sentence too light"

A man in his 50s who indiscriminately assaulted and attempted to murder a high school girl talking on the phone while walking was sentenced to six years in prison.

On the 4th, the Jeonju District Court Criminal Division 11 (Chief Judge Kim Sang-gon) announced that it sentenced Mr. A (51), who was detained and prosecuted on charges of attempted murder and special injury, to six years in prison. Mr. A was tried for allegedly knocking down Ms. B, who was walking on a sidewalk in Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, around 10 p.m. on October 28 last year, and assaulting her for about 10 minutes with a blunt weapon and his hands and feet. After the assault, he attempted to strangle Ms. B with a bag strap to kill her but stopped the crime when a passerby intervened.

After his arrest, Mr. A stated his motive for the crime was "because the laughter of the high school girl talking on the phone annoyed me." During the investigation, he maintained the same statement, claiming, "I lost my temper in the moment and intended to kill her, but the student said 'I'm sorry,' so I loosened the bag strap around her neck," asserting that he stopped the crime on his own. However, the court judged that based on Ms. B’s and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, Mr. A clearly had the intent to kill at the time.

The court pointed out, "The defendant committed the crime unilaterally against a young victim who was talking on the phone on the street with whom he had no relationship," and said, "The nature of the crime is very serious." It also stated, "Moreover, from the investigation stage to this courtroom, the defendant made statements such as 'the victim provoked the crime,' 'I was also harmed by the victim,' and 'I could not have subdued her without strangling her,' making it difficult to see that he acknowledges or reflects on the crime."

Regarding the sentencing, the court explained, "Considering the danger of the weapon used by the defendant, the method, and the duration, if the eyewitness had not intervened, the victim could have lost her life," and "Taking into account that the victim suffered extreme pain from the crime and strongly desires severe punishment, the sentence was determined."

After the first trial verdict, the prosecution appealed, stating that "the sentence is too light." Previously, the prosecution had requested a 15-year prison sentence for Mr. A. The Jeonju District Prosecutors’ Office Criminal Division 2 (Chief Prosecutor Hwang Seong-min) said, "The defendant’s crime is very serious, and there are no mitigating factors in the motive," and "We appealed to seek a heavier sentence commensurate with the crime."