[Herald DB]
[Herald DB]

A man in his 50s who doused his nephew in flammable liquid and set him on fire amid a dispute with his sister over their parents' inheritance has been sentenced to prison.

The Bucheon Branch of Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Chief Judge Na Sang-hun, sentenced the 58-year-old defendant, identified only as A, to four years in prison Wednesday on charges including attempted murder.

A was indicted on charges of assaulting his nephew, B, who is in his 20s, at his sister's home in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of Dec. 13 last year, then pouring flammable liquid he had purchased at a gas station over B and setting him on fire in an attempt to kill him.

The investigation found that A had been in a prolonged dispute with his sister over the inheritance of their deceased parents' estate. After carrying out the attack on his nephew, A returned to his own home in Gimpo and set it on fire as well, investigators said.

During the trial, A's side denied the attempted murder charge, arguing he had no intent to kill. At the final hearing before sentencing, A and his defense counsel argued there was insufficient evidence to prove the attempted murder count and asked the court to acquit him on that charge.

The court rejected that argument, finding that A did have intent to kill, based in part on findings by the National Forensic Service. "The discovery of traces of flame and extreme heat on the victim's padded jacket indicates that the defendant had begun to carry out the act and that intent to kill is established," the court said.

The court noted in its sentencing rationale that A's partial admission of the offense and the fact that the attack did not succeed — leaving the victim without serious injury — were factors in his favor. However, it added that A "has shown an attitude of minimizing his culpability and has not shown genuine remorse," and that "the nature of the crime is grave in light of the circumstances and manner in which it was committed."

Prosecutors had sought a seven-year prison term at the final hearing last month.


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