Man in His 40s Gets 20 Years in Prison in Appeals Court for Murdering Girlfriend and Abandoning Body

The 1st Criminal Division of the Daegu High Court (Presiding High Court Judge Jung Sung-wook) overturned the lower court's sentence of 17 years in prison and sentenced a man in his 40s, identified as A, to 20 years in prison in his appellate trial yesterday (July 22) on charges of murder and abandoning a body.

A was put on trial for strangling his 40-year-old girlfriend, B, to death while drinking together at B's home in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on the afternoon of September 20 of last year after getting into an argument.

He is also charged with wrapping B's body in a blanket and abandoning it in a wooded area in Yeongyang-gun a week after the crime.

During the investigation, A stated, "When the victim slapped me in the face, accumulated resentment exploded, leading me to commit the crime."

The court stated, "Although the defendant admits to all the crimes and is deeply repenting for his wrongdoing, his responsibility is extremely grave and the level of culpability is very high," adding, "The bereaved family members must have suffered indescribable pain and sorrow upon seeing the skeletal remains of the victim, who had been reported missing."

It further noted, "The defendant has not been forgiven by the bereaved family, and considering the various sentencing conditions revealed in the records and arguments, including the circumstances after the crime, the sentence imposed by the lower court was too lenient and unfair."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.