"Man in his 50s who poisoned neighbor's dog sets fire to their car, commits arson again after release"

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] A man in his 50s who set fire to a neighbor's car after being released from prison was sentenced to imprisonment.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Daegu District Court Seobu Branch (Chief Judge An Jong-yeol) announced on the 9th that A (57), who was tried on charges of setting fire to a neighbor's passenger car (general automobile arson), was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

The court stated, "The victim suffered property damage from repeated arson crimes in a residence that should have been a sanctuary, felt significant threats to life and body, and likely endured severe mental distress."

It added, "Although the defendant did not receive forgiveness from the victim, considering that his own mental and physical health does not appear to be good, among other factors," explaining the sentencing reasons.

A was previously tried and sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison in 2016 for setting fire to a car owned by neighbor B (64).

At that time, it was investigated that A claimed B, with whom he had conflicts over pet dog care after his own dog suddenly died, had injected poison.

After completing his sentence and being released in 2018, A reportedly told neighbors, "I will not let this go. I will take revenge."

About a year after his release, on June 30 of last year, A was arrested and indicted for pouring a flammable substance on B's parked passenger car at B's residence in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, and setting it on fire.

During the trial, A claimed, "I did not set the fire." However, the court did not accept A's claim based on his physical characteristics and witness testimonies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.