8-Month Prison Sentence and 2-Year Probation Upheld on Appeal
Court Considers 2 Million Won Deposit and Medical Expenses Burden
A man in his 30s who chased and assaulted an unknown woman late at night was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the appellate court, following the first trial.
The Jeonju District Court Criminal Division 3-1 (Presiding Judge Kim Eun-young) dismissed the prosecutor's appeal in the appellate trial of Mr. A (33), who was charged with injury, and upheld the original sentence of 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension, Yonhap News reported on the 2nd. Mr. A was also ordered to undergo probation, 240 hours of community service, and 40 hours of a violence treatment program.
Mr. A was tried on charges of assaulting a woman in her 40s, Ms. B, around midnight on August 21, 2022, in an alley in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. He strangled her neck and threw her to the ground, causing injuries that required two weeks of medical treatment. At the time, Mr. A was heavily intoxicated and followed Ms. B, who was on her way home, calling out "Ajumma, Ajumma" repeatedly without any reason. When Ms. B, frightened by Mr. A's behavior, tried to leave the alley, Mr. A grabbed her neck and threatened her with a fist as if to assault her. He then pushed her against a nearby parked van and strangled her until she lost consciousness. Due to Mr. A's actions, Ms. B sustained injuries to her shoulder and other areas. Police who responded to the report arrested Mr. A at the scene. The investigation revealed that Mr. A and Ms. B were strangers, and Mr. A assaulted Ms. B without any particular reason.
The first trial court stated, "Although the defendant did not reach an agreement with the victim, considering that he deposited 2 million won as a criminal bond," and sentenced Mr. A to a suspended prison term. The prosecution appealed, arguing that the sentence was too lenient.
However, the appellate court's judgment was the same as the original. The appellate court stated, "Considering the circumstances and method of the crime, the nature of the offense is serious, but the defendant made efforts to compensate for the damage by paying 1.49 million won for the victim's medical expenses in addition to the criminal bond," and added, "After reviewing various sentencing criteria, including the fact that the defendant has no prior convictions of the same kind, it cannot be said that the sentence imposed by the original court exceeded the reasonable range of discretion."
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