Man in His 70s Suspended Sentence for Hiding Weapon and Sending "It’s the Day of the Ritual" Text After Suspecting Wife of Infidelity

A man in his 70s who suspected his spouse of infidelity, purchased a weapon to hide and sent threatening text messages about murder, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On April 20, the Ulsan District Court’s 11th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Park Dongkyu) sentenced Mr. A, who was tried on charges including preparation for murder, to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and to register his personal information for 10 years.

Court Image

원본보기 아이콘

Mr. A was accused of assaulting his wife by, among other actions, pushing her neck during a quarrel at their home in Ulsan in August last year, after suspecting her of having an affair.

When his wife reported him to the police, Mr. A fled the house, purchased a weapon and a balaclava, then entered the home while his wife was out and hid the weapon under a blanket. He then sent her a text message saying, "It’s the day of the ritual," and went back outside to wait for her, but was apprehended by the police.

During the trial, Mr. A claimed he had no intention of killing his wife, but the court did not accept this argument.

It was revealed that after purchasing the weapon, Mr. A told the taxi driver, "There is someone I need to kill," and, while buying the balaclava, implied murder to the clerk by saying, "People must not recognize me."

After being detained, Mr. A was conditionally released thanks to his wife’s plea for leniency. However, it was found that he subsequently sent threatening text messages to his child, along with secretly taken nude photos of his wife.

The court stated, "Committing a crime against a spouse with whom he had maintained a marriage for 36 years is extremely grave," and added, "Consideration was given to the fact that the family requested Mr. A be allowed to return to society after receiving treatment."

The court also ordered Mr. A to stay away from his wife, prohibited him from contacting her, and mandated treatment for delusional jealousy.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.