Main Perpetrator Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Stabbing During Group Fight Over Cryptocurrency Dispute

[Financial News] A man who injured his opponent during a group fight over a cryptocurrency dispute has received a heavy sentence.
According to the legal community on the 8th, the Supreme Court of Korea's Second Division, presided over by Justice Eom Sang-pil, upheld the lower court's sentence of 17 years in prison for Mr. A, who was charged with attempted murder and other offenses.
Mr. A was brought to trial for attempting to murder a man in his 40s by stabbing him multiple times with a weapon on a street in Songdo International City, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, in May last year.
Mr. A had invested in a Virtual Asset introduced by Mr. B, whom he met in a detention center in the past. When issues arose, Mr. A demanded, 'The cryptocurrency given to you belongs to me, so return it.' Mr. B refused, leading to a group brawl between Mr. A and Mr. B's associates. During the fight, Mr. A stabbed members of Mr. B's group several times, causing injuries to the victim's face, side, and other areas.
Two acquaintances of Mr. A were also tried for injuring Mr. B's group during the altercation, and Mr. A's spouse was prosecuted for allegedly aiding and abetting the crime.
In the first trial, Mr. A was sentenced to 17 years in prison. The court stated, 'Given the circumstances and details of the crime, the prepared weapon, the method and outcome, the defendant bears very heavy responsibility.' The court further criticized, 'Although the victim did not lose his life, he fell into a coma and is now unable to live independently without assistance, with little hope for recovery.'
The two accomplices were sentenced to 1 year and 6 months and 1 year in prison, respectively, while Mr. A's spouse received a sentence of 2 years and 6 months.
On appeal, only the verdict for Mr. A's spouse was overturned, resulting in an acquittal. The original sentences for the other defendants were upheld.
The appellate court found that Mr. A's spouse had accompanied him to the scene in an effort to prevent him from getting involved in the fight, and ruled that it was difficult to conclude she had foreseen or accepted the possibility of Mr. A committing murder or had aided and abetted the crime in any tangible or intangible way.
The Supreme Court of Korea found no error in the lower court's judgment and dismissed the appeal.

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter