Visited Ex-Girlfriend and Killed Her with a Weapon... Attempted to Kill Her Mother as Well
Prosecution Demands Death Penalty... First Trial Court Says "Must Repent for Life"
Seo Dong-ha (35), the defendant in the Gumi stalking murder case, was sentenced to a heavy punishment in the first trial.
The Criminal Division 1 of Gimcheon Branch Court of Daegu District Court (Chief Judge Choi Yeon-mi) sentenced Seo Dong-ha, who was indicted on charges including retaliatory murder, to life imprisonment and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) for 10 years, according to Yonhap News.
According to the report, the court stated, "The defendant firmly harbored anger and a desire for revenge related to the victim's stalking crime report, prepared six knives and one pickaxe as tools for the crime, and researched on the internet which parts of the human body should be stabbed," adding, "Considering the defendant's preparation process for the crime, the motive is highly blameworthy."
The court further explained the sentencing by saying, "Through a lifetime of imprisonment, the defendant should truly repent for his wrongdoing," and "It is necessary to permanently isolate him from society to maintain social safety and order."
Seo Dong-ha was indicted for killing his ex-girlfriend A, who lived in an apartment in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, with a weapon on November 8 last year, and for attempting to kill A's mother who was present at the scene. Investigation revealed that Seo Dong-ha had been continuously stalking A, and after A reported him, he planned the crime with the intent of retaliation.
In the sentencing hearing last month, the prosecution requested the court to impose the death penalty, the maximum sentence, stating, "The defendant brutally committed the crime by stabbing the female victim 55 times with the intent of retaliation."
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