A man who shoved and injured an acquaintance during an argument and left him unattended for over 10 hours, resulting in his death, has been sentenced to prison in the first trial.

According to the legal community on September 24, the Suwon District Court sentenced a man identified as A, who was indicted on charges of assault resulting in death, to four years in prison.

A was indicted on charges of assaulting and causing the death of an acquaintance, B, whom he had met while experiencing homelessness in the past, following an argument at a residence in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, last May.

On the day of the incident, A slapped B several times during a dispute. When B threatened to self-harm by saying, "I'm going to die," A forcefully pushed B in the chest, causing him to fall and suffer severe head injuries.

It was revealed that A subsequently left B without providing aid for an extended period. When another acquaintance discovered B and called 119, A fled the scene and went into hiding before emergency responders and police arrived.

B was transferred to a hospital in a state of cardiac arrest approximately 11 hours after the incident and ultimately died from traumatic brain hemorrhage while receiving treatment.

It was confirmed that A committed the crime during a repeated offense probation period after being released from prison for previous crimes, including theft.

The court stated, "The responsibility is extremely heavy as the defendant's actions caused an irreversible and grave consequence, and he left the victim in a critical condition, causing him to suffer considerable agony until his death." The court rebuked him, adding, "The circumstances after the crime are also unfavorable, as he evaded the investigation by leaving the scene and going into hiding."

However, the court added, "We partially factored into the sentencing the fact that the defendant admits to his crime."

(Photo: Yonhap News)