10 Years Imprisonment in First Trial → 8 Years in Second Trial
"Considering Additional Agreement with the Victim"
A club DJ who fatally struck a motorcycle delivery worker while driving under the influence in a heavily intoxicated state in Gangnam, Seoul, at dawn was sentenced to 8 years in prison in the appellate court, a lighter sentence than the first trial.
On the 18th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 5-2 (Presiding Judges Kim Yong-jung, Kim Ji-sun, and So Byung-jin) sentenced Ahn Mo (24, female), who was detained and indicted on charges including dangerous driving causing death and hit-and-run injury under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to 8 years in prison, according to Yonhap News Agency. Previously, the first trial court sentenced Ahn to 10 years in prison in July.
An individual named An, who caused a fatal drunk driving accident, is attending a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review) on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (dangerous driving causing death) held at the Seoul Central District Court on February 5. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Ahn was tried on charges of fatally striking a motorcycle delivery worker, Mr. A, while driving a Mercedes-Benz after drinking alcohol around 4:40 a.m. on February 3 in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Investigations revealed that Ahn crossed the center line, collided with another vehicle, and fled the scene before hitting Mr. A. At the time of the accident, Ahn's blood alcohol concentration was 0.221%, far exceeding the license cancellation threshold. Additionally, she faced criticism after a photo of her holding her pet dog without providing proper first aid at the accident scene was posted on an online community.
During the trial, Ahn's defense attorney appealed for leniency, stating, "The defendant possesses genius talent in the entertainment field and has promoted national prestige through overseas performances in China, Thailand, Taiwan, and other countries," and added, "She deeply reflects on her crime daily and has submitted 75 letters of apology." However, the first trial court pointed out, "The defendant left the scene without any explanation despite the need to remain, failed to take measures required by the Road Traffic Act such as protecting the victim, and abandoned the accident site." The court also judged that Ahn's actions indicated an intention to flee. Both Ahn and the prosecution appealed the first trial's verdict.
The appellate court stated, "Ahn drove very dangerously while heavily intoxicated, standing in the middle of the road for a long time, running red lights, and speeding, causing the accident. After the first accident, she fled, and the second accident resulted in the victim's death," and criticized, "Despite being so intoxicated that she could not recognize how she caused the accident, she denied the crime with unreasonable claims." However, the court explained the reason for the reduced sentence, saying, "Considering that the defendant confessed to all crimes and reached an additional settlement with the victim during the appeal, the first trial sentence was somewhat heavy."
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