"Enraged by Neighbor's 'Smoke Elsewhere' Remark... 20s Scales Fence with Weapon"

Court: "Victim's Family Experiences Severe Mental Distress"

A man in his 20s who attempted to kill a neighbor with a weapon after being asked to go outside to smoke was sentenced to prison.

According to Yonhap News on the 22nd, the 13th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Jang Min-gyeong) sentenced a man in his 20s, identified as A, to five years in prison on charges of attempted murder.

On June 20th last year, around 1:40 p.m., A was smoking inside his home in Asan, Chungnam, when B (40), who lives next door, said, "Sorry, but please go outside to smoke," which enraged A. He then climbed over the wall separating the two houses with a weapon in hand. He crossed into B’s property and was charged with attempted murder of B.

The struggle between A, who was swinging the weapon, and B, who tried to stop him, lasted about 10 minutes. When B desperately resisted by grabbing both of A’s arms, A fled. During the altercation, B suffered bites to his ear and shoulder and required 21 days of hospital treatment.

At the start of the trial, A made a criminal deposit of 400,000 won, but the court did not consider this a mitigating factor. A criminal deposit is a system where a defendant in a criminal case deposits a certain amount of money with the court as consolation or other reasons when the victim’s personal information is unknown.

The court stated, "The unilateral criminal deposit made against the victim’s wishes will not be considered a favorable factor in sentencing," and added, "Although the defendant only attempted the crime, the nature of the offense is serious and the illegality is grave." The court further explained the sentencing by saying, "The confrontation lasted about 10 minutes. Given the low wall and the adjacent residential environment, if the victim had not responded immediately, the damage could have been greater. Since this incident, the victim’s family has suffered severe mental distress due to anxiety and fear and demands strict punishment. The defendant has not made sincere efforts to seek forgiveness."

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