A courtroom at the Daegu District Court [Yonhap]
A courtroom at the Daegu District Court [Yonhap]

A man in his late 20s who stabbed his upstairs neighbor to death dozens of times over an inter-floor noise dispute was sentenced to 25 years in prison — heavier than what prosecutors had sought. Jurors in the citizen participation trial recommended a sentence of 25 to 30 years, citing the defendant's lack of remorse and his attempts to shift blame onto the victim's family.

The 11th Criminal Division of the Daegu District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Young-cheol, handed down the 25-year sentence Wednesday against the defendant, identified only as A, 28, who had been indicted on murder charges.

Five of the seven jurors recommended 30 years, while two recommended 25 years. Prosecutors had sought 20 years, arguing that A showed no remorse and appeared to have carried out the attack with premeditation.

A is accused of stabbing his upstairs neighbor, identified as B, a man in his 50s, dozens of times with a bladed weapon inside an elevator at an apartment building in Pyeongni-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu, at around 10:40 a.m. on May 9.

A had moved into the building in 2023 and had been in conflict with B's family over inter-floor noise ever since. Claiming he could constantly hear noise and feel vibrations, A spent 12.7 million won ($9,580) installing a soundproof booth in his room and took to wearing headphones at home. Last year, the two sides argued over the building's intercom system, prompting police to respond and mediate.

On the day of the attack, A woke up to a loud bang and strong vibrations while sleeping. Hearing the upstairs unit's front door close shortly after, he suspected B's family was responsible for the noise, grabbed a weapon and went out. When he encountered B coming down in the elevator, he attacked him.

Closed-circuit television footage captured A stabbing B dozens of times inside the elevator, briefly turning the weapon on himself, then resuming the attack on B. In court, A testified, "I thought they were making the inter-floor noise on purpose to torment me."

B's daughter told the court that the family had taken great care to minimize noise — wearing slippers and installing noise-reduction mats — and had never deliberately made noise to bother anyone. She called for a severe sentence.

The actual source of the noise and A's mental state were also contested during the trial. A's defense played video footage of noise incidents and argued that A had suffered years of psychological distress caused by B's family. The defense also raised a diminished-capacity claim, but a psychiatric evaluation by a specialist found no abnormality.

The court noted that the building had experienced noise and vibration problems stemming from a plumbing defect, which had led to a pressure tank replacement — a matter posted as a notice in the elevator. "It is difficult to conclude that all the inter-floor noise A claims to have experienced was caused solely by B," the court said.

A had also reportedly been severely bothered by sounds such as doors slamming at his previous residence before moving to the apartment. His family told the court that he had always been sensitive to noise and had gone so far as to install a soundproof booth after moving in.

"A himself was not certain that the inter-floor noise was caused by B's family," the court said in explaining the sentence. "Stabbing the neck, lungs and internal organs dozens of times, combined with his unremorseful attitude, constitutes an aggravating factor."


bbo@heraldcorp.com