Man gets 15 years for murdering common-law wife of 23 years

A 70-year-old man received a 15-year prison sentence for killing his common-law wife of 23 years. The Incheon District Court's Bucheon Branch handed down the sentence on Tuesday, rejecting the prosecution's request for life imprisonment.

The court stated that the crime of taking a spouse's life is a grave offense, betraying marital duties. While the murder was not premeditated, the court noted the brutal manner of the act, which weighed heavily on the sentencing.

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The crime of taking a person's life is, needless to say, a heavy burden of guilt. Especially the act of murdering one's spouse, who one has formed a marital bond with, is a grave crime that abandons one's duties as family.

The accused, identified as Mr. G, was arrested and charged with murder after he repeatedly struck the victim, a woman in her 50s, with a blunt object at her home in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on March 20. The couple had reportedly ended their 23-year common-law relationship a month prior to the incident.

Investigations revealed the couple had argued about financial matters. Two days before the murder, the victim had called the police reporting a dispute with Mr. G over money, requesting he be removed from her home. Police at the time took no action against Mr. G, as there was no physical assault and the victim did not wish to press charges, opting instead for a separation measure.

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Although the act was not premeditated, its process had brutal aspects. In that regard, the guilt is even heavier and the nature of the crime is not good.