A man in his 50s who tried to kill his nephew by setting him on fire amid an inheritance dispute has been sentenced to prison.

Judge Na Sang-hoon, presiding over Criminal Division 1 at the Incheon District Court's Bucheon Branch, sentenced 58-year-old A, who was indicted on charges including attempted murder, to four years in prison during a sentencing hearing held today.

The court stated, "Considering the National Forensic Service's appraisal results showing traces of flames and high heat on the padding worn by the victim, the defendant had the intent to kill and initiated the crime."

The court added, "It is a favorable factor that the defendant admitted to some of the crimes and that the victim did not sustain major injuries as the crime ended in an attempt," but explained the sentencing reasoning by noting, "The defendant shows an attitude of minimizing criminal responsibility and is not genuinely reflecting, and given the motive and details of the crime, the nature of the offense is grave."

Previously, prosecutors sought a seven-year prison sentence for A during the sentencing hearing last month.

At the time, A and his defense counsel argued in their closing statements that "there is no clear evidence for the indictment charge of attempted murder, constituting a case lacking proof of a crime," and requested an acquittal on the attempted murder charge.

A was indicted and detained for allegedly beating his 20s nephew B, splashing him with an accelerant purchased from a gas station, and setting him on fire to kill him at his older sister's house in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of December 13 of last year.

Investigators found that he committed the crime after a prolonged conflict with his sister over the inheritance of their deceased parents, after which he returned to his own home in Gimpo and set a fire.