Man sentenced to 15 years in prison for hammer attack

A 47-year-old man surnamed Kim was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for attacking a convenience store clerk with a hammer.

The Supreme Court confirmed the original sentence of 15 years in jail and wearing an electronic anklet for 30 years for the attempted murder.

The man had attacked a 21-year-old convenience store worker on Jan. 14, 2018, near Bupyeong station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. 

“As I lacked money, I was sitting outside the convenience store hesitating whether to buy a pack of cigarettes. When I saw the worker inside the store, I thought she was laughing at me, so I impulsively committed the crime,” said the man to police.

When the victim left the store to go to the bathroom, Kim followed the woman and hit her on the head with a hammer several times before fleeing. The victim had to undergo surgery for fractures in her skull and fingers.

Two days after the incident, Kim was accused of injuring a 79-year-old by hitting the victim’s head with a weapon at a bathroom in a building in Seoul.

Upon investigation, police found that Kim had been released from prison in 2016 after serving 15 years for crimes including robbery and fraud.

“Considering the defendant’s age, relationship with the victims, the cause of the crime and the result, the 15-year prison term is not considered unfair,” said the court of its reason for rejecting an appeal.

By Kim Hye-soo (clairek@heraldcorp.com)