Man who beat girlfriend with frying pan, camping gear gets suspended sentence

A man in his late 20s who repeatedly beat his girlfriend with a frying pan and other objects because she had lied to him about going out received a suspended prison sentence.

According to legal sources Friday, Judge Choi Ji-heon of the Cheongju District Court's Criminal Division 4 recently sentenced A, 28, to one year and four months in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of aggravated assault and property destruction.

A was indicted on charges of grabbing his girlfriend B, 27, by the hair, punching her in the face multiple times, knocking her to the ground and kicking her in the abdomen in the parking lot of a sports center in Jeungpyeong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, on July 4 last year, after accusing her of lying about going out.

He also faces charges of snatching her mobile phone and throwing it to the ground, breaking it, when she tried to call her mother for help.

About 30 minutes later, after returning home, A continued the assault — striking B on the head multiple times with a frying pan and, when the pan broke, choking her with camping equipment.

When police arrived in response to a neighbor's report, A told them nothing was wrong and pretended B was bathing in the bathroom, sending the officers away. After they left, he resumed the assault, telling B, "You deserve to be hit. Drop dead."

During the attack, A also threatened B, saying, "You can't fix people," "I'm going to kill your mother and father," and "Don't think I won't. You should die," according to the court.

A was later arrested after B reported the incident to police.

B sustained injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

"The defendant struck the victim on the head with a dangerous object and choked her neck — targeting areas of the body where repeated blows and pressure could pose a serious risk to life," Judge Choi said, adding that A had continued the violence even after sending the police away.

The judge said the sentence took into account that the victim, having reached a settlement, did not wish to see the defendant punished; that the defendant had confessed and shown remorse; and that he had no prior criminal record.