Man who killed wife's lover at his home gets sentence reduced on appeal

A man in his 40s who stabbed and killed his wife's lover after the man came to his home had his sentence reduced on appeal.

The First Criminal Division of the Gwangju High Court overturned the original ruling Thursday and sentenced A, 41, to 10 years in prison on murder charges, according to Newsis.

A was indicted after attacking B with a knife in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Gwangsan-gu, South Jeolla Province, in October last year, killing him.

A had learned of the affair between his wife and B through dashboard camera footage. His wife acknowledged the relationship and agreed to a divorce, but A carried out the attack after B showed no remorse during a phone call, according to the investigation.

At the first trial, A admitted to all charges but argued that he had grabbed a knife from home intending only to frighten B after becoming enraged by his defiant attitude, and that the killing was impulsive after B laughed at him.

The first-instance court found that A had planned the crime within a short period and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, also citing his failure to reach a settlement with the victim's family.

The appeals court said the original sentence was excessively harsh, noting that A had since reached a settlement with the victim's family, who no longer sought punishment. The court also took into account that A had called emergency services himself immediately after the killing and had no prior criminal record.