A would-be murderer who went to a police station to obtain a certificate was sentenced to a heavy prison term after being arrested for the first time in 16 years on the run.
The 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Woo-hyun) said on the 26th that it sentenced a person surnamed Lee (70), who was indicted and detained on an attempted murder charge, to 10 years in prison.
Lee is accused of going in Oct. 2009 to Eunpyeong District carrying a can filled with ignited thinner and a blunt weapon to kill a neighboring karaoke owner in a competitive relationship, and throwing the can toward the face of a karaoke employee surnamed Kim who tried to stop Lee, causing burns all over the body.
At the time, police failed to apprehend Lee, who fled immediately after the crime, and the case remained unsolved for 16 years. But in March, Lee went on his own to the civil service desk at Guro Police Station to obtain a driver's career certificate, and was caught by police who verified the identity.
The court criticized, "The victim, Kim, continues to live with great pain even now, about 15 years after the crime," adding, "Nevertheless, the defendant fled immediately after the crime and sustained a life on the run, subjecting the victims to suffering and anxiety." It continued, "Even if an agreement with Kim was reached belatedly, we cannot avoid imposing a considerable heavy sentence."
Lee argued that there was no intent to kill, saying that at the time of the crime Lee threw the burning thinner can into the karaoke room without even seeing Kim, but the court did not accept the claim.