Nurse Assistant Sentenced to 30 Years for Causing Boyfriend's Death by Drug Overdose in Motel

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] A female nursing assistant who caused the death of her boyfriend by overdosing him with drugs was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

On the 24th, the Criminal Division 1 of Bucheon Branch, Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Im Haeji) announced that former nursing assistant A (32, female), who was detained and indicted for murder, violation of the Narcotics Control Act, embezzlement, and theft, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and fined 800,000 won.

The court stated, "The defendant appears to have killed the victim after suspecting him of engaging in prostitution despite living together," and added, "The victim claimed they had 'agreed to die together,' but the evidence is weak and highly unreliable."

Furthermore, the court noted, "The defendant used medical knowledge by searching whether injection shock could be detected through an autopsy before the crime and administered the stored drugs to the victim," and added, "Meanwhile, she disguised it as a joint suicide by ingesting the drugs herself."

The court also said, "On the other hand, the victim was undergoing a personal rehabilitation process and had been steadily paying the rehabilitation fees until then, and was receiving a salary from his father, making it difficult to see that he was experiencing mental or financial difficulties severe enough to commit suicide," and stated, "Considering that the defendant has made no effort to console the bereaved family’s pain, it is appropriate for her to be isolated from society for a long time to repent and atone to the bereaved family," explaining the sentencing rationale.

A was detained and indicted on charges of overdosing her boyfriend B (30) with anesthetics via an IV drip at a motel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, at 11:10 a.m. on October 21 last year, causing his death.

Additionally, A is accused of administering propofol, an anesthetic, and diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory analgesic, to B without a prescription at the hospital where she worked, and of stealing drugs from that hospital.

Investigations revealed that B died from cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of propofol, lidocaine, and diclofenac. In contrast, it was confirmed that A administered the drugs at doses below therapeutic levels.

During police questioning, A stated, "I intended to make an extreme choice with B. It was not murder." However, the investigative authorities did not accept this, stating there was no evidence that A and B attempted the extreme choice simultaneously.