A man in his 50s who murdered his wife for refusing his request to reconcile during divorce proceedings has been sentenced to a heavy prison term.
The 22nd Criminal Division of the Cheongju District Court (presiding judge Han Sang-won) on the 16th sentenced A, a man in his 50s, to 18 years in prison for murdering his wife with a knife in front of their son while the couple was in divorce proceedings.
A is accused of stabbing and killing his wife B, also in her 50s, with a knife on a road in Chilseong-myeon, Goesan-gun, at around 5:55 p.m. on Jan. 29.
According to the investigation, A had argued with B while riding in a vehicle with their son in his 20s on the way to dinner. After stopping the vehicle in a vacant lot, they continued to argue, and he committed the crime. Investigators confirmed that he wielded the knife in a fit of anger after B refused his request to reconcile. The knife was found to have been purchased at a hardware store before the crime.
A claimed that he had drawn the knife only to frighten B during the argument, but that an agitated B grabbed his arm and stabbed herself.
The couple, who were in divorce proceedings, had reportedly been living separately for about two weeks before the incident.
"Considering the difference in physique between the defendant and B, it is difficult to accept that B suffered deep wounds even though the defendant pulled his arm in the opposite direction," presiding judge Han said.
He added, "The psychological shock suffered by the son, who was at the scene at the time, also appears considerable," and said, "However, the sentence was determined taking into account that the defendant committed the crime impulsively."
