40s on Probation for Breaking Windows of 30 Households by Shooting Steel Marbles with Slingshot

1 Year 4 Months Imprisonment, 2 Years Probation Sentenced
Court: "Considering Compensation of Damages and First Offense"

A man in his 40s who shot steel marbles with a slingshot at 30 households in a high-rise apartment complex, damaging windows, was sentenced to a suspended prison term and released.

According to Yonhap News on the 6th, Judge Oh Seung-hee of the Criminal Division 4 at Bucheon Branch of Incheon District Court sentenced A (49), who was detained and indicted on charges of special property damage, to 1 year and 4 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.

A was detained and indicted on charges of shooting 7mm diameter steel marbles at 30 households’ windows in four apartment complexes in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, from July 2021 to September last year. All the affected households were in high-rise buildings of 20 floors or more, and among them, 20 locations were neighboring apartments in the same complex where A lived. It was investigated that he fired steel marbles from the rooftops of the apartment and nearby commercial buildings.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

During police investigation, A stated, "At first, I set up cans in a quiet place and shot steel marbles, but later I got bored and started shooting steel marbles at high floors of the apartment," adding, "I threw away the slingshot used in the crime because it scared me." The prosecution demanded a 3-year prison sentence for A at the sentencing hearing held on the 15th of last month.

Judge Oh pointed out, "The defendant aimed at about 30 apartment windows and shot steel marbles with a slingshot," adding, "This was a very dangerous act that could have led to serious casualties." Regarding the sentencing reasons, he explained, "Consideration was given to the fact that the defendant compensated for the damages or deposited money with the court, most victims did not want punishment, and the defendant is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record."

Earlier, in March in Incheon, a man in his 60s, B, was sentenced to one year in prison after breaking windows of three neighboring households in a high-rise apartment by shooting steel marbles with a slingshot.

B was detained and indicted on charges of shooting 8mm diameter steel marbles with an iron slingshot at three neighboring households from his 31st-floor residence in Songdo International City, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on March 10, breaking their windows one after another. All affected households were in high-rise buildings of 20 floors or more, and in one 29th-floor residence, a 3cm hole was found in the outer glass of two 3mm thick glass panes.

In addition to a large pile of slingshots and steel marbles found in B’s home, traces of practice using targets and target mats were also discovered. B claimed during police investigation, "I was curious about how far the steel marbles would actually fly, so I shot them out of curiosity," and "I did not aim."

Meanwhile, after B was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial in May, both B and the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office appealed. At that time, the prosecution stated the reason for the appeal, saying, "B committed a dangerous crime targeting unspecified neighbors, showing very bad criminal intent," and "there is a need to prevent copycat crimes, so a heavier sentence should be imposed." The prosecution had demanded a 3-year prison sentence for B during the first trial.

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