"Just Punished Evil Deeds" - 40s Man Who Killed Church Member Sentenced to 18 Years in Second Trial

File photo. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. A man in his 40s who killed one fellow church member and injured another was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the second trial. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] A man in his 40s who struck two churchgoers sleeping in a church with a blunt weapon, killing one and injuring another, was again sentenced to a heavy punishment in the second trial.

The Jeonju branch of the Gwangju High Court, 1-2 Criminal Division (Chief Judge Bongwon Kim), on the 26th, sentenced A (46), who was charged with murder and attempted murder, to 18 years in prison, the same as the original sentence.

The court stated, "The defendant killed one person with a pre-prepared blunt weapon and inflicted serious injuries on another victim," and emphasized, "He brutally killed victims who could not resist, and there is a high risk of reoffending."

It added, "Although the defendant was suffering from schizophrenia and was in a state of diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime, which is a favorable circumstance, even considering this, the original sentence is within a reasonable range and does not appear too heavy or light," explaining the sentencing rationale.

A was prosecuted for killing B, a churchgoer in his 50s, by striking his head multiple times with a blunt weapon while he was sleeping at a church in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, around 1:40 a.m. on July 27 last year. He also injured C, a churchgoer in his 30s who was nearby, by swinging the blunt weapon at him.

During the investigation, A stated, "I only punished those who committed evil acts."

The investigation revealed that A was suffering from schizophrenia. However, he had stopped taking medication because "taking medicine made me increasingly anxious."

The first trial court sentenced him to 18 years in prison, stating, "Although diminished mental capacity was recognized based on psychiatric evaluation results at the time of the crime, the defendant cruelly killed the victim with a pre-prepared blunt weapon and did not provide any aid to the victims after the crime, which calls for severe punishment."

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