TOKYO (TR) – A court here on Monday handed Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of idol group KAT-TUN, a suspended prison term for the possession marijuana, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 21).
At the Tokyo District Court, presiding judge Kenji Nagaike handed Taguchi, 33, a six-month term, suspended for two years.
Meanwhile, former actress Rena Komine, the 39-year-old girlfriend of Taguchi, received an identical sentence for the same crime. The prosecution had sought six-month terms for both.
In handing down the ruling, the judge said that he took into account the fact that both defendants revealed how they obtained the illegal drug and cut off ties with those suppliers.
On May 22, law enforcement seized about 2.2 grams of marijuana and smoking utensils from the Setagaya Ward residence shared by Taguchi and Komine, according to the ruling.
Taguchi and Komine were released on on bail of 3 million yen each on June 7. Both defendants admitted to the allegations during their trials.
In 2006, Taguchi joined KAT-TUN, which is under the Johnny & Associates agency. His last appearance in the group was in 2016. Later that year, he made his debut as a solo artist with the single “Hero.”
