[Herald DB]
[Herald DB]

A man in his 50s who beat a taxi driver he had never met into unconsciousness while heavily intoxicated has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The Cheonan Branch of Daejeon District Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Chief Judge Jo Yeong-jin, sentenced the 58-year-old defendant, identified only as A, on charges of attempted murder.

A was arrested and indicted after attacking a taxi driver in his 70s, identified as B, near Onyang Hot Springs Station in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, at around 7 p.m. on March 5.

A, a city bus driver who also served as a union chapter chairman, boarded the taxi in Yesan-gun while heavily drunk and repeatedly hurled verbal abuse at B for no apparent reason before throwing punches when the cab reached its destination.

B tried to flee, but A gave chase, knocked him to the ground and struck him dozens of times in the head and chest. B lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital, where he has yet to regain it.

"The victim, subjected to an indiscriminate assault by a complete stranger, has not regained consciousness to this day, and even if he recovers, there is a high likelihood of permanent disability," the court said in its ruling. "The victim and his family are in considerable distress and have petitioned for severe punishment, making a strict sentence commensurate with the gravity of the offense unavoidable."


choigo@heraldcorp.com