Group After School alum Nana faces the robber who broke into her home in court.
On the 20th, the Uijeongbu District Court Namyangju Branch Criminal Division 1 (Kim Guk-sik, Director General presiding judge) held the first trial for defendant A, who was indicted and detained on charges of robbery and injury.
A is accused of breaking into Nana's home in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 15 last year with a weapon, threatening and injuring Nana and her mother and demanding money.
According to the police, A climbed up a ladder he had prepared in advance toward the veranda, opened an unlocked door and entered the house, found Nana's mother and assaulted her including choking her. Then Nana, who was awakened by the screams, came out to stop it and a struggle ensued.
Nana and her mother grabbed A's arms to prevent him from moving and then called the police. When officers arrived, A had a laceration on his jaw, and Nana's mother briefly lost consciousness after having her neck choked by A. Nana also suffered a minor jaw injury during the struggle. Nana and Nana's mother submitted medical certificates saying they sustained injuries requiring 33 days and 31 days of treatment, respectively, due to A's crime.
A filed a complaint from the detention center alleging he was injured by Nana with a weapon. But the Guri police in Gyeonggi found no grounds for prosecution in the case in which Nana had been investigated on suspicion of attempted murder and special injury, and decided not to refer the case for prosecution. Nana's side said, "This matter concerns an inhumane act that caused great mental suffering to Nana and her family," and "We are reviewing all possible civil and criminal legal measures regarding the perpetrator's actions in this matter."
In particular, Nana said she "spent time alone, regained some stability and felt a little stronger."
At the first hearing held that day, prosecutors explained the charges, saying, "A broke into Nana's residence in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 15 last year with a weapon, and injured the mother and daughter while threatening them and demanding money."
A's defense lawyer said, "We admit entering Nana's house, but it was for simple theft, not robbery for money, and there was no choking of Nana's mother. He did not assault the victims and was unilaterally beaten by Nana," and argued, "The 33-day injury Nana suffered is not a defensive mark inflicted by the defendant but an injury inflicted by the victim." He also requested that the National Forensic Service conduct an analysis to determine whether the defendant's fingerprints are on the weapon and its case, which are being held as evidence.
A claimed, "In dire financial straits, I learned through internet searches that many wealthy people including entertainers live in Acheon-dong, so I committed the crime, but I did not bring a weapon. I did not choke Nana's mother; startled, she screamed and pushed, so I held her by the shoulder from the side to calm her, and after Nana's mother calmed down, Nana suddenly ran out and swung a weapon, then I struggled with Nana but I appeared to be resisting."
When A claimed that Nana and her mother overreacted in self-defense, the bench retorted, "Put yourself in the victims' place: if someone broke into your home and did that, would you do nothing and just stand still?"
The court said it would call Nana and her mother as witnesses at the next hearing. This is to confirm the course of events in the case, and if Nana appears in court, it will be the first time they meet again about four months after the incident. The next hearing is scheduled to be held in the same courtroom on March 10.
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