이미 깨진 휴대전화 들고 일부러 어깨 ‘쿵’…수천만원 뜯어낸 20대 실형

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to one and a half years in prison for a series of crimes involving stolen smartphones and stalking. At the trial, 21-year-old ㄱ was found guilty of theft, fraud, violation of the Stalking Act, and assault. The court ordered him to serve one year and six months in jail, complete 40 hours of stalking therapy, and pay a total fine of 82 million won.

The charges stem from his actions from September last year to January this year, during which he attempted to extort over 79 million won from 11 people by claiming it was for phone repair services. Additionally, he attempted to extort 13 million won from three others, but only managed to obtain it.

The defendant targeted groups of people, including soldiers and university students, in well-populated areas like bus terminals. He would knock his already broken phone out of his hand and then demand compensation. He would also demand payment or warn the victims to avoid reporting him to the police or discussing the matter with their parents. In some instances, he even made threats about going to prison. He also sent messages to his ex-girlfriend 189 times in a week and sent money via bank transfers during other periods.

Despite being ordered to stay 100 meters away from his ex-girlfriend, ㄱ continued to send her messages and even sent money to another acquaintance to use for vehicle repair services. The judge noted that the defendant's crime was particularly egregious due to the high amount of money demanded, his repeated failure to comply with court orders, and his dishonesty during the investigation. The judge sentenced ㄱ to prison for his criminal behavior and lack of remorse.