"Still Young"... Teen Reduced Sentence for Blinding Traffic Accident Victim with 'Knuckle Fist'

Consideration of Victim Settlement and 9-Month Detention

A teenager who assaulted a traffic accident victim with a knuckle duster (a metal blunt weapon worn on the fingers), causing blindness, received a reduced sentence in the appellate court. The court considered that the defendant had reached a settlement with the victim and had been detained for over nine months at a young age.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, the 4th Criminal Appeals Division of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Kyung-jin) overturned the original verdict in the second trial of A (19), who was charged with special injury and special intimidation, and sentenced him to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation. In the first trial, A was originally sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison.

Knuckle. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

The appellate court stated, "In each of the crimes in this case, the defendant struck the victim's eye area with a fist wearing knuckles, causing blindness, threatened by showing a weapon, and also threatened to hit another victim," adding, "Considering the method of the crimes and the extent of the victim's injuries, the culpability is severe, and the fact that the defendant committed these crimes during the probation period is an unfavorable factor."

However, the court explained the sentencing rationale by saying, "The defendant admitted to the crimes and showed remorse, reached settlements with two victims in the original trial and with the remaining victims so that none of the victims want the defendant to be punished, and considering that the defendant was detained for over nine months at a young age."

On January 7th at around 2:20 a.m., A is accused of hitting pedestrian B while reversing a vehicle on a road in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province. When B protested, A got out of the car wearing knuckles on his right hand and struck B’s left eye once.

He is also accused of threatening B, who blocked his vehicle from leaving the scene, by showing a weapon and saying, "I will kill you."

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