A teenager who stabbed his mother to death during an argument and then killed the family dog admitted to the crimes at his first trial but claimed diminished mental capacity.
The 13th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court, presided over by Judge Kim Ki-pung, held the first hearing Wednesday in the case of A, 18, who was indicted on charges of patricide and violating the Animal Protection Act.
A's defense attorney acknowledged the charges, saying the acts stemmed not from a sound state of mind but from an abnormal mental condition, according to Yonhap.
The attorney added that A had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder long before the incident. Based on his behavior and the circumstances of the crime, the attorney argued, his ability to distinguish right from wrong or make rational decisions at the time was severely impaired.
When the presiding judge asked whether the defense was claiming diminished capacity, the attorney said yes. The attorney also requested a psychiatric evaluation, saying the court needed to assess A's precise mental state before determining the degree of his criminal responsibility.
The defense also asked the court to reject a prosecution request for an electronic ankle bracelet and a probation order.
A, who appeared in court wearing a light green prison uniform, answered "yes" when the judge asked whether he agreed with his attorney's position on the charges.
A is accused of stabbing his mother, a woman in her 40s identified only as B, multiple times with a bladed weapon at their apartment in Samsan-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, at around 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 7. He was later found to have also stabbed and killed the family dog after the attack.
Investigators found that A carried out the attack during an argument after his mother refused to apologize for allegedly sexually assaulting him in the past.
B was transported to a hospital by emergency responders but ultimately died. A turned himself in after the attack.
A had dropped out of high school and had no steady occupation. Police had previously been called to the home on one or two occasions over arguments between A and his mother, though no one was charged at the time.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
