Drunk Man in His 30s Drives 1.5 km Dragging Substitute Driver to Death... Bereaved Family: "No Apology"

Court Sentences Defendant to 13 Years in Prison
Prosecution Had Sought 30-Year Term

A man in his 30s who, while heavily intoxicated, pushed a substitute driver out of his vehicle, dragged him while the victim was hanging onto the car, and caused his death, has been sentenced to a heavy prison term in the first trial.

According to Yonhap News on June 5, the 12th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Byeongman) sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted on charges including murder, to 13 years in prison on this day. At the time of the incident, Mr. A’s blood alcohol concentration was confirmed to be 0.152%, far exceeding the license revocation level.

The prosecution had requested a 30-year prison sentence, but the court, while acknowledging Mr. A’s indirect intent to kill, considered the fact that he was a first-time offender and that the crime appeared to have been committed impulsively under the influence of alcohol, and determined the sentence accordingly.

(This photo is not directly related to the article.) Pixabay Pixabay

The court stated, “At minimum, indirect intent to kill is recognized,” and added, “Although the defendant claimed to have no memory of the incident, the evidence shows that he was not simply intoxicated but it cannot be deemed that he was incapable of making decisions.” Accordingly, the court did not accept Mr. A’s claim of diminished responsibility.

The court further explained, “The defendant’s attempt to evade responsibility and the bereaved family’s petitions for a severe punishment are unfavorable factors, but we also considered that the crime appears to have been committed impulsively and that he is a first-time offender in determining the sentence.”

Mr. A was indicted for pushing Mr. B, a substitute driver in his 60s who was driving him, out of the driver’s seat on a road in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, at around 1:30 a.m. on November 14 last year. Mr. A then drove his car for about 1.5 kilometers with Mr. B hanging onto the vehicle for approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds, causing Mr. B’s death.

After being indicted, Mr. A submitted letters of reflection to the court a total of 14 times before the first trial verdict was delivered.

Meanwhile, the bereaved family’s attorney stated, “The family has not received a proper apology. Even after taking all the favorable and unfavorable circumstances into account, the verdict is disappointing,” and revealed plans to request an appeal from the prosecution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.