IBARAKI (TR) – The Mito District Court on Tuesday handed down a prison term to a 39-year-old man over a crossbow attack of a male cyclist in Toride City two years ago, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 26).
At around 1:15 a.m. on April 15, 2015, Toshifumi Kono, 39, fired the arrow from the crossbow at the cyclist, then 47, striking him in the right calf as he pedaled home on a sidewalk from JR Toride Station. The defendant and the victim were not acquainted.
“To target a passerby indiscriminately is an act worthy of strong condemnation,” said presiding judge Mayumi Terasawa in handing down the prison term of 12 years and 6 months. The prosecution had sought a 15-year term for the defendant, who was accused of attempted murder.
According to police, the victim said that a white vehicle passed him slowly just before he realized he had been shot. After making it home, his wife drove him to the hospital. The victim endured a two-month recovery period.
Upon arrested Kono, police found a crossbow and six arrows, each 40 centimeters in length, inside his residence. The bolts were identical to the one that struck the victim. It was also determined that Kono owns a white vehicle.
The defense argued that the arrow was deflected off of a curb prior to striking the victim in seeking a lesser charge of inflicting bodily injury. However, the judged ruled that such a scenario was “unnatural.”
