"Reports and Walks Happily" Man Sentenced to Heavy Punishment in 2nd Trial for Murdering Ex-Partner

A man in his 60s who killed his ex-girlfriend after she reported him for stalking because he "looked happy" was sentenced to a heavy prison term again in the appellate court.

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According to the legal community on the 30th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Suwon High Court (Presiding Judges Park Seon-jun, Jeong Hyeon-sik, Bae Yoon-gyeong) dismissed the appeals filed by both Mr. A (65) and the prosecution on the grounds of inappropriate sentencing in the appeal trial for charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (retaliatory murder) and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, thereby upholding the original verdict.

The first trial sentenced Mr. A to 30 years in prison and ordered him to complete 80 hours of a stalking treatment program.

The appellate court stated, "It is difficult to see that any new circumstances have arisen that would warrant changing the original sentence," and added, "Considering that the defendant expressed his intention to donate organs and voluntarily requested severe punishment, yet denied the retaliatory motive and showed some contradictory attitudes regarding his sincere remorse for the crime, it is hard to accept the defendant’s claim that the original sentence was excessively harsh and unfair."

It also ruled, "The original sentence was calculated close to the heaviest punishment within the legal sentencing range and the recommended sentencing guidelines, so the prosecution’s claim that the sentence was too light and unfair is also difficult to accept."

Mr. A was indicted on charges of discovering his ex-girlfriend Ms. B, whom he had broken up with, passing by the front door of his residence on June 8 last year, grabbing a weapon from inside the house, pushing Ms. B down the stairs of the building, and stabbing her more than 20 times, resulting in her death.

During the prosecution investigation, Mr. A reportedly stated, "Ms. B reported me for stalking but walked around happily, and I was angry that I couldn’t do anything, so I committed the crime."

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