A man in his 30s who went on trial on charges of breaking into the home of actor Nana, formerly of the girl group "After School," threatening her with a weapon and demanding money, flatly denied the charges.
The criminal division 1 of the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Guk-sik) held the first hearing on the 20th for a person surnamed Kim, 34, who was indicted and detained on charges of aggravated robbery causing injury.
According to prosecutors, Kim is accused of entering Nana's home in Acheondong, Guri, Gyeonggi, around 6 p.m. on Nov. 15 last year armed with a weapon, threatening Nana and her mother and demanding money, and injuring both in the process.
Nana and her mother submitted medical certificates stating they suffered injuries requiring 33 days and 31 days of treatment, respectively. Kim was found to have been subdued by Nana and her mother during the crime, and the attempt fell short.
However, Kim's side mostly denied the charges in court. The attorney said, "The defendant entered thinking the house was empty and intended only to steal, with no intent to take money by force," and argued, "He did not possess a weapon, and rather was unilaterally assaulted by Nana."
Kim also said, "The weapon was something the victim brought out from inside the house," adding, "Because of financial hardship, I only tried to enter an empty house to steal items." He continued, "I did not choke Nana's mother, and I only grabbed her shoulders to calm her as she screamed in surprise and pushed me."
He further said, "After that, Nana suddenly rushed out brandishing a weapon and a scuffle broke out, and I was in a situation of resistance," denying the injury charges against Nana and her mother.
Kim's side also requested that the National Forensic Service examine whether the defendant's fingerprints are on the weapon and its case, and argued that Nana's 33-day injury is not a "defensive wound" but an "offensive wound."
They also applied to call a doctor as a witness to verify the appropriateness of the injury diagnosis, but the court asked them to reconsider, saying, "It is difficult to treat a doctor's oral statement alone as objective evidence."
The court accepted Nana and her mother as witnesses, and the next hearing will be held in the same courtroom on Mar. 10.