"Released from Prison Today," Man in 50s Who Assaulted Taxi Driver Again Sent Back Behind Bars

A man in his 50s, who assaulted a taxi driver on the very day he was released from prison due to the court's leniency, has been sent back behind bars.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Jeonju Jeonju Branch of the Gwangju High Court (Presiding Judge Jung Moon-kyung) announced on October 10 that it sentenced Defendant A (52), who was indicted for violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (assault on drivers, etc.), to 1 year and 10 months in prison, upholding the lower court's ruling.

Defendant A was indicted on charges of assaulting a 74-year-old taxi driver, B, inside a moving taxi in Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, at around 4:40 p.m. on March 10.

After boarding the taxi, Defendant A ordered Driver B in a commanding tone mixed with profanity, saying, "Drive to the Seobu New Town in Jeonju so I can get something to eat."

Feeling offended by this, Driver B said, "Don't curse and tell me the exact destination," but what came back was the passenger's fist.

Defendant A shouted, "I just got out of the cell today," and repeatedly struck the face of the driver who was currently driving. Driver B suffered severe injuries, including a broken nasal bone, from the assault.

Defendant A had just been released from prison that day after being sentenced to a prison term with probation for committing another special injury offense.

The appellate court rebuked, "The crime committed by the defendant requires strict punishment because it can cause physical and property damage not only to the driver but also to an unspecified number of people by causing traffic accidents. Furthermore, since the defendant committed the crime on the very day he was released from prison after receiving probation, the culpability is even greater."

The court stated, "In addition, the defendant has committed similar crimes multiple times, such as threatening his common-law spouse with a weapon. Considering that the defendant has not made efforts to restore the damage suffered by the victim, a prison sentence is inevitable."

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