'College Student Sentenced to 5 Years in First Trial for Killing Mother Who Scolded Him for Coming Home Late' Prosecutors Appeal

The prosecution appealed the first trial result of a university student who killed his mother after being scolded for coming home late after drinking alcohol.

Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. [Photo by Yonhap News]

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Trial Division (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jaeyeon) announced on the 20th that Lee Mo (19), who was indicted on charges of killing a direct ascendant, appealed the sentence of 5 years in prison given in the first trial on the grounds of excessive sentencing.

The prosecution explained the reason, saying, "We appealed so that a sentence corresponding to the crime can be imposed, considering that the crime has inhumane and antisocial characteristics and that the defendant's method of crime was brutal and the nature of the crime was serious."

Lee was indicted on charges of stabbing and killing his mother in her 50s with a weapon at an apartment in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of August 3. At the time, Lee was intoxicated and committed the crime in anger after his mother scolded him for coming home late.

The first trial court stated, "The damage caused by the victim's death is irreparable, and the bereaved family is suffering mental pain," but also judged that "the defendant is remorseful and the crime was committed impulsively." It added, "The defendant has no prior criminal record, was a juvenile (under 19 years old) at the time of the crime, and the defendant's sister and maternal uncle, who are the victim's bereaved family, are pleading for leniency." Considering all these circumstances, the court sentenced him to 5 years in prison, slightly below the lower limit of the sentencing guidelines."

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