Man Stabbed by Brother Claims He Was Injured Alone, But Fails to Prevent Guilty Verdict

A man who was stabbed by his younger brother attempted to cover up the crime by telling investigators that he had injured himself, but he was unable to prevent his brother from being found guilty.
According to legal circles on July 11, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 6-3 (Presiding Judges Min Dal-ki, Kim Jong-woo, and Park Jeong-je) recently sentenced the younger brother, identified as A, to three years in prison, suspended for four years, on charges of attempted murder.
In September of last year, A got into an argument with his older brother, B, at their home. In a fit of rage, A grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed B multiple times.
When police arrived at the scene, B told them that he had injured himself and attempted to hide the weapon used in the crime.
Even during the victim investigation, B continued to defend A, stating, "My brother did not intend to kill me," and "I also assaulted my brother."
During the trial, B also expressed that he did not wish for A to be punished.
However, the first-instance court found A guilty of attempted murder and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The first court ruled, "A committed the crime because he could not control his anger after being assaulted by his brother while his own resentment toward him had reached a peak," adding, "He was fully aware of or could have foreseen the possibility or danger that his actions could result in his brother's death."
Regarding the older brother's testimony denying the crime, the court stated, "There is a motive to provide false testimony favorable to the defendant, who is a family member. Furthermore, his testimony is contradictory and difficult to accept, as he provided detailed accounts of how he assaulted the defendant while claiming he could not remember the defendant stabbing him."
The appellate court also upheld the guilty verdict for A. However, it opted for a suspended sentence rather than prison time, taking into account that A admitted to the crime and expressed remorse during the trial, paid for his brother's medical expenses, reached a reconciliation, and has family members to support.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.