"Damage from Pipe Leakage"... 50s Suspended Sentence for Locking Public Water Supply with Padlock

Suspected of Chaining External Water Meter Box to Block Water Supply
Suwon District Court Sentences to 6 Months Imprisonment with 1 Year Probation

A man in his 50s who arbitrarily turned off the water meter valve and locked it with a padlock after flooding damage occurred in his residence due to a shared pipe leak was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 2nd, the Criminal Division 14 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Go Kwonhong) announced that it recently sentenced Mr. A (54), who was indicted on charges of water supply disruption, to six months in prison with a one-year suspension. Mr. A was prosecuted for shutting off the valve of a shared water meter box located outside a villa in Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, in July 2022, and preventing access by locking it with a padlock and chain, thereby disrupting the public drinking water supply facilities.

Before the crime, Mr. A claimed flooding damage caused by a leak in the villa's shared piping. When discussions with other residents about the method of repairing the shared pipes failed, he committed the act. It is known that he unilaterally notified other residents of a water cut, stating that water would be supplied only one hour per day until compensation for the leak damage was provided.

During the trial, Mr. A argued, "I proceeded with the water cut after consulting with the villa residents to identify the cause of the leak," and claimed, "This constitutes a lawful act." However, the court rejected his claim, stating, "The act of water supply disruption in this case was carried out unilaterally without any preparatory measures to prevent flooding damage that occurred in the defendant's residence and to receive compensation for the damage."

The court pointed out, "As a result of this crime, the villa residents were completely unable to use water, causing significant inconvenience in their daily lives," and added, "Considering the circumstances of the defendant's crime and the situation at the time, the defendant's culpability is not light." The court explained the sentencing by saying, "However, on the day of the incident, the police intervened and mediated, resulting in the defendant removing the padlock and other locks he had placed on the shared water meter box, allowing immediate water use. Also, considering that the defendant appeared to have acted impulsively out of anger due to severe flooding damage, the sentence was determined comprehensively."

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