An elderly man, in his 60s, who hit a pedestrian at a crosswalk and then drove his car again to harm the victim, believing them to be involved in a blackmail plot, received a suspended prison sentence.
Judge Jo Aram from the Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul Eastern District Court stated on the 21st that Seo, aged 61, who was charged with serious bodily harm, received a sentence of one year and six months in prison, which is suspended for three years, along with a requirement to complete 160 hours of community service. This decision was made during a hearing held on the 17th of last month.
In September of last year, Mr. Seo was involved in an accident while operating an SUV on Cheonho-daero in Seoul’s Seongdong District, colliding with Mr. A, a 40-year-old pedestrian who was crossing the road. When Mr. A obstructed the front of Mr. Seo’s vehicle, it was determined that Mr. Seo moved the car again, resulting in a collision with Mr. A’s leg, even though he was aware of the situation. Consequently, Mr. A fell back, suffering injuries to his wrist, back, and hip, and was diagnosed with a condition requiring two weeks of medical treatment.
At the trial, Mr. Seo denied having any intention, stating, “I believed Mr. A was involved with a self-harm blackmail group and thought relocating the car would cause him to back off.” Nevertheless, data from the black box and security cameras indicated that Mr. A was within less than 30 cm of the vehicle, in a spot where he couldn’t quickly escape the moving car. Moreover, the video showed that after the first impact, Mr. A looked toward the driver’s seat for several seconds without moving, but Mr. Seo did nothing.
The court remarked, “The defendant had a secondary intention, fully aware of the potential for causing harm but accepting it. From the start of the investigation until the trial, he repeatedly offered weak justifications, and he has several previous convictions for similar crimes.” Nevertheless, the court took into account elements like “the fact that he paid 2 million South Korean won to the victim and came to an agreement” when deciding on the punishment.
