▲ Uijeongbu District Court Namyangju Branch
It was revealed for the first time during a trial that the accomplice who attached the vehicle location tracker used in the "Namyangju stalking retaliatory murder" was a close acquaintance of the deceased female victim.
The 1st Criminal Division of the Uijeongbu District Court Namyangju Branch (Presiding Judge Kim Kuk-sik) held the second hearing for the case yesterday (the 18th), with the defendant Kim Hoon (44) and two female witnesses, including witness B, in attendance.
Witness B had worked closely with the victim A (27), frequently drinking together in gatherings where Kim Hoon was also present, and helping her move.
Witness B was also one of the accomplices who attached the location tracker to victim A's vehicle.
After victim A filed a complaint against Kim Hoon for assault, witness B, upon Kim Hoon's request, approached victim A to persuade her to drop the complaint and attached the location tracker.
Witness B testified in court, "I ordered the location tracker online at Kim Hoon's instruction and attached it to A's car," adding, "I did as I was told because I hated being harassed and cursed at by Kim Hoon for hours."
Kim Hoon also asked witness B to testify favorably for him if called as a witness in the assault trial.
Regarding this, witness B stated, "Kim Hoon made me sit down and practiced expected questions and answers with me, telling me to speak as if I were standing before a prosecutor," and added, "After being gaslighted like this continuously, I became confused about the facts themselves."
Kim Hoon also had witness B wear a recorder in her bag when meeting victim A.
The defense attorney questioned them about their formerly amicable relationship, conducting cross-examination in a direction to counter the prosecution's argument that Kim Hoon committed retaliatory murder after failing to hush up the assault case.
While the crime of retaliatory murder is punishable by the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for 10 years or more, the minimum sentence for general murder is 5 years in prison. Kim Hoon was indicted and detained for allegedly murdering victim A by repeatedly stabbing her with a prepared weapon on a road in Onam-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi Province, at 8:58 a.m. on March 14.
Prior to this incident, he had been indicted without detention in May of last year for severely beating victim A and inflicting injuries, including fractured ribs.
The prosecution concluded that he exercised violence in a fit of rage after victim A demanded a breakup.
When the investigation began, Kim Hoon tracked victim A's location, approached her, and demanded that she submit a statement of non-punishment or withdraw the complaint.
Based on these facts, the prosecution believes that Kim Hoon murdered victim A in retaliation after failing to cover up the assault case.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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