Angry After Hearing Sleep Talk... 40s Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Beating and Detaining Girlfriend

"Lost Reason While Threatening"
"Tried to Hit Shoulder but Hit Head Due to Poor Vision"

A man in his 40s was sentenced to prison for severely injuring his girlfriend by assaulting her with a blunt object while she was sleep-talking.

On the 28th, the Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 sentenced A, a man in his 40s who was indicted and detained on charges of attempted murder, to five years in prison. A is accused of repeatedly hitting his sleeping girlfriend’s head with a blunt object around 5 a.m. on July 10 at their residence in Jeju City because she said unpleasant things while sleep-talking, and then confining her for about three hours.

A held the victim, who said she needed medical treatment, for about three hours before belatedly calling 119 to report that "my girlfriend fell and hurt her head on the first floor." At the time, the victim told medical staff about the assault, and the hospital reportedly reported the case to the police. The victim, who suffered severe head injuries from A’s assault, underwent suturing surgery and is still receiving outpatient treatment.

Earlier, during the sentencing hearing on the 6th, A explained the reason for the assault, saying, "She was sleep-talking while sleeping, and I lost my composure trying only to threaten her," and added, "I intended to hit her shoulder but hit her head instead because of poor eyesight."

The court stated the sentencing rationale, saying, "The defendant denies the crime and has not made efforts to restore the victim," and considered "the defendant’s prior convictions for theft and sexual violence offenses multiple times from 2005 to 2017, and the fact that he has not been punished for similar crimes before."