20s Man Who Killed Father Over "Let Me See Your Phone" Sentence Reduced by 5 Years in Second Trial

A man in his 20s who was prosecuted for stabbing and killing his biological father with a weapon after taking his phone to check it was sentenced to five years less in the appellate court.

On the 11th, the 3-3 Criminal Division of Suwon High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Jong-gi, Won Ik-seon, Kim Dong-gyu) sentenced Mr. A, who was charged with killing a direct ascendant, to 20 years in prison and ordered medical custody. Previously, the lower court sentenced Mr. A to 25 years in prison, and both the defendant and the prosecution appealed citing 'excessive sentencing'.

Mr. A is accused of stabbing his father, Mr. B, who was in his 50s, multiple times with a weapon at their residence in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on October 3, 2023. The crime occurred after Mr. B took Mr. A’s phone, saying, "You use your phone for too long. I will check what videos you are watching." After the crime, Mr. A fled, but was arrested near the residence following a report by his mother.

In court, Mr. A claimed insanity due to schizophrenia, but the appellate court only recognized a diminished mental capacity.

The appellate court stated, "The defendant stabbed his biological father multiple times with a knife without any particular reason, which is a serious offense," but also ruled, "Considering that the defendant committed the act while in a state of diminished capacity due to schizophrenia and that the defendant’s mother pleaded for leniency, the sentence is determined as such."