Court Imposes Harsher Sentence Than Prosecution's Request for Man Who Poured Boiling Water on Wife

A man has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for pouring boiling water on his sleeping Thai wife, causing severe burns.

The defendant, a man in his 40s identified as A, was arrested and indicted on charges of pouring water boiled in an electric kettle onto the face and neck of his wife, B, a Thai national in her 30s, while she was asleep at their apartment in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, last December.

During the initial investigation, A denied the charges, claiming he had "tripped and accidentally spilled the boiling water." However, during the trial, he admitted to all charges, bowed his head, and tearfully pleaded for leniency.

The Uijeongbu District Court sentenced A, who was indicted on charges of special injury, to three years and six months in prison and rebuked the cruelty of his crime.

The court stated, "The defendant committed a cruel act that is difficult for an ordinary person to imagine, boiling water and pouring it on the face of a sleeping spouse," and pointed out, "It appears the crime was committed to prevent her from meeting other men, suggesting a very high possibility of recidivism."

The court further explained the reasoning for the sentencing, noting, "While the defendant claims he committed the crime after discovering his wife's infidelity, such a brutal act cannot be justified regardless of the truth of those allegations."

Although the prosecution had previously requested a three-year prison sentence for A, the court stated, "We have determined that there are factors warranting an aggravated sentence, and therefore, we are imposing a sentence higher than what was requested."

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.