A person in their 20s who went on trial on charges of fatally stabbing a partner they had dated for six years was sentenced to a heavy prison term.
The Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Lim Jae-nam, senior judge) on the 22nd sentenced defendant A, who was detained and indicted on a murder charge, to 15 years in prison.
A is accused of fatally stabbing partner B (a woman in her 20s) with a weapon at about 9:16 p.m. on Sept. 16 last year at an apartment in Ara-dong, Jeju City, after the two had been drinking together. The two argued at the time, and A, unable to control anger, took a knife from the kitchen and committed the crime, it was found. Immediately after the crime, A called 119.
A and B had been in an on-and-off relationship for about six years, and it was also confirmed that five reports related to dating violence were filed during this period.
In court, A said, "I am sorry to the victim and the bereaved family. I will atone for the rest of my life," while also claiming diminished capacity, saying A was in a "blackout" from alcohol at the time of the crime and lost memory.
The defense also argued, "The two often drank for several days in a row, and at the time of the incident they had been drinking day and night for about 10 days," adding, "The defendant lacked the ability to distinguish things to the extent of not remembering the circumstances of the crime at all."
However, the court did not accept these arguments. The court found it difficult to view A as being in a state of diminished capacity, noting that A gave a relatively specific account of the circumstances and feelings surrounding the crime, and that after calling 119, A applied pressure to the victim's bleeding site and attempted CPR.
Senior Judge Lim said, "Murder is a grave crime that deprives a human of life and cannot be justified for any reason," adding, "However, taking into account that the crime was committed impulsively and that the defendant is a first-time offender, we determined the sentence."