Man, 69, sentenced to 16 years for stabbing wife to death during argument

A man in his late 60s who stabbed his wife to death has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The 13th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Jeong-ho, sentenced the defendant, identified only as A, 69, to 16 years in prison on murder charges Tuesday.

A was indicted after stabbing and killing his wife, also in her 60s, at their home in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, in December last year.

He confessed to committing the crime in a moment of rage during a marital dispute stemming from his drinking habits and conflicts between his wife and his parents.

After the killing, A attempted to poison himself on a hillside in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, but was taken to a hospital and regained consciousness.

The court said it considered a petition from the couple's children asking for leniency when determining the sentence.