The prosecution has demanded prison terms for a Taekwondo dojo employee and her accomplice, the dojo director, who attempted to murder the employee's husband using drugged alcohol and a weapon.

During the sentencing hearing held today (the 31st) by Criminal Division 1 of the Incheon District Court's Bucheon Branch (Presiding Judge Na Sang-hoon), the prosecution demanded a five-year prison term for the 40-year-old female Taekwondo dojo employee, surnamed A, who was indicted on charges including attempted murder and preparation for murder.

The prosecution also demanded a seven-year prison term for the 20-year-old female director, surnamed B, indicted on the same charges.

Considering the gravity of their crimes, the prosecution further requested the court to order the attachment of location-tracking electronic devices (electronic anklets) for 10 years and five years of probation.

During the court session, the husband of A appeared as a witness in person and appealed for leniency for his wife.

The husband claimed, "My wife suffered from gaslighting by B and was even assaulted, resulting in a fractured finger," adding, "Because our son attended the same Taekwondo dojo and we feared B might harm the child, she could not cut off the unreasonable demands."

He continued to request the court, saying, "Our family has been torn apart by this incident, and our child misses his mother so much," and "Please show leniency to my wife, who has been a very kind person throughout our 13 years of marriage."

However, the prosecution refuted the claim of a gaslighting relationship based on KakaoTalk message contents between A and B.

The prosecution stated, "Objective evidence confirms that they actively conspired, such as A replying 'I will say I do not know or that it was a suicide' when B asked how they would cover up the signs of poisoning in the event of the husband's death," adding, "It is difficult to view this as having committed the crime inevitably solely due to B's demands or coercion."

The prosecution also elaborated, "When B asked, 'Is it true that you want to break up with your husband in any way possible?', A replied, 'I do not want to break up, I want bereavement,'" and added, "Please take these aspects into account when expressing your stance on punishment."

In her final statement, A said, "I committed a grave error driven by delusional thoughts," and "I ask for forgiveness from my husband, who somehow never wanted to break up our family."

Counsel for B admitted to the facts of the indictment and offered apologies, but argued, "She did not gaslight A to direct the crime; the incident occurred while A was in a vulnerable mental state, including depression."

The sentencing hearing for the defendants is scheduled to take place on September 30 in the morning at the Incheon District Court's Bucheon Branch.

A and her accomplices were indicted on charges of attempting to murder A's husband on three occasions between April 26 and the 6th of last month at the home of employee A located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, using alcohol mixed with drugs and a weapon.

According to the investigation, after searching for poisoning methods on the internet, they mixed psychotropic tranquilizers into soju and handed it to A's husband, and placed it back in the refrigerator when he refused to drink it.

A and her accomplices also attempted to deliver soju containing tranquilizers to A's husband by placing it in the mailbox of his home.

Subsequently, they swung a weapon at A's husband, inflicting injuries on the back of his neck that required five weeks of medical treatment.

(Photo: Yonhap News)