Man sprays self-defense spray at civil servant for 'staring,' gets suspended sentence

A person in their 40s who sprayed a civil servant with self-defense spray at a police station's public service counter — simply because the official had looked at them — has received a suspended prison sentence.

The Chuncheon District Court's Criminal Division 2, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Seong-rae, sentenced the 47-year-old defendant, identified only as A, to two years in prison, suspended for four years, on charges of obstructing a public official's duties with injury.

A was indicted after spraying a 55-year-old civil servant, identified as B, with self-defense spray at the Chuncheon Police Station's public service counter in April last year, causing corneal inflammation and other injuries.

The investigation found that A had acted in a fit of anger while filing a complaint, claiming B had been staring at them.

The court said it considered several factors in determining the sentence: that A had reached an amicable settlement with the victim, who no longer wished to see punishment imposed; that mental health issues appeared to have played a role in the offense; and that A is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment and has pledged not to reoffend.