A man in his 50s who shoved his wife to the ground during a drinking session and left her unattended for more than a day has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The Second Criminal Division of the Chuncheon District Court's Gangneung branch, presided over by Judge Lee Bae-geun, handed down the ruling against the man, identified as A, who was charged with fatal assault, the legal community said Monday.
A is accused of shoving his wife, identified as B and also in her 50s, to the ground in the living room of an apartment in Gangneung last December, causing her death.
While drinking with his wife from the night before the incident, A argued with her over family problems. When the conflict continued during a drinking session the following day, he became enraged and forcefully pushed B's upper body with his arm. As she fell backward, B struck the back of her head hard against the living room floor.
A, assuming the unconscious B had fallen asleep drunk, carried her to the master bedroom and laid her down. He took no measures whatsoever to check her condition or seek emergency treatment for more than 24 hours until she died, and B was found dead in the master bedroom the following afternoon. The cause of death was determined to be head injuries including subdural hemorrhage.
The court noted, "As a spouse who had been married for about 23 years, the defendant had a considerable responsibility to protect the victim's life and safety and to actively rescue her in an emergency."
It continued, "The defendant merely moved the victim, who had collapsed from his act of violence, to the master bedroom, and failed to check her condition or take appropriate relief measures such as emergency treatment for more than 24 hours until the irreversible outcome of death." The court ruled, "Given the lack of responsibility shown at the time of the incident and a response that is difficult to easily comprehend, it is difficult to define this case as simply a momentary or accidental incident."
