“One pet dog dead, another blinded” ... Three men in their 20s sentenced to prison for opening fire with BB guns

[Financial News]  Three men in their 20s have been sentenced to prison for firing a BB gun repeatedly at two pet dogs in the courtyard of a restaurant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. One of the dogs died while receiving treatment, and the other suffered such serious injuries that its eye had to be removed.
On the 3rd, Judge Kim Eun-su of the Busan District Court’s Eastern Branch, presiding over Criminal Division 5, sentenced each of the three men in their 20s, including A, to eight months in prison for special destruction of property and other charges. However, the court did not have the defendants taken into custody in court, giving them an opportunity to reach a settlement with the victim.
The court pointed out that the defendants entered the victim’s home and fired BB pellets at the dogs several times. Judge Kim said, “They trespassed into the victim’s home, fired BB guns at the dogs several times, injuring them and causing them pain, while also damaging property,” adding, “In light of the means and methods used and the circumstances of the offense, the crime is grave.”
The court also noted that the defendants had not made sufficient efforts to make amends to the victim. Judge Kim explained the reason for imposing prison sentences, saying, “The victim appears to have suffered considerably, but we have found no evidence that the defendants made any meaningful efforts to make amends.”
A and the other men were indicted on charges of repeatedly firing an illegally modified BB pistol at two pet dogs in the courtyard of a restaurant in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8 last year.
One of the dogs hit by the BB pellets reportedly continued receiving treatment until recently but eventually died. The other suffered injuries so serious that its eye had to be removed.
At the time of the crime, two of the three defendants were serving in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROK Marine Corps).
The victim dog’s owner said they had no intention of reaching a settlement with the perpetrators. The owner’s side said, “In the end, we never even received a sincere apology from the perpetrators,” adding, “There will be no settlement going forward, either.”
Representatives of animal protection groups and the Marine Corps Reservists Association also attended court that day. The animal protection group and the Marine Corps Reservists Association gathered 120,000 and 100,000 signatures, respectively, and asked the court to punish the defendants severely.
The animal protection group strongly criticized the means used in the crime and the extent of the harm. The group said, “This was not simply animal abuse; they opened fire on a living being.”
The Marine Corps Reservists Association also criticized the actions of the two defendants who were active-duty service members at the time of the incident. The association said, “We do not recognize as Marines those who tarnished the honor of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps,” adding, “We consider it fortunate that those who forgot their duty as service members were sentenced to prison today.”


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter