20s Sentenced to 15 Years in First Trial for Killing Neighbor Over 'Wall Noise' Dispute

Attempt to Conceal Crime by Turning Off CCTV Power

A man in his 20s who killed a neighbor with whom he had conflicts over noise between walls was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first trial.

The Criminal Division 11 of Suwon District Court (Chief Judge Shin Jin-woo) on the 16th sentenced Mr. A, who was detained and prosecuted on charges of murder, to 15 years in prison and 5 years of probation.

Mr. A was tried on charges of dragging Mr. B, a man in his 40s who lived next door, into his one-room hotel in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province, where he lived, and killing him around 10 p.m. on February 24.

Immediately after the crime, Mr. A abandoned the body in his home bathroom and surrendered himself the next day by visiting a nearby police station.

During the police investigation, Mr. A stated that he committed the crime out of anger after having conflicts with Mr. B over noise issues between walls.

After the crime, Mr. A also attempted to cover up the crime by visiting the management office within the one-room hotel and turning off the power to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) installed at the crime scene.

The court stated, "Human life is an absolute value that cannot be exchanged for anything else, and murder is a serious crime that cannot be remedied, so severe punishment is inevitable. It is presumed that the victim suffered extreme pain, and the shock and grief of the bereaved family are difficult to imagine."

However, the court added, "It took into consideration that the defendant fully admitted to the crime and showed remorse."

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