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Fukuoka: Pair handed prison terms over killing of woman

FUKUOKA (TR) – A court here earlier this month handed a man and a woman prison terms over the killing of a female acquaintance two years ago, reports Fuji News Network (March 4).

According to the ruling handed down at the Fukuoka District Court on March 2, Miyuki Yamamoto, 42, and Tsubasa Kishi, 25, worked together to fatally confine and beat 36-year-old Rumi Kohata in 2019.

The beating began at the end of September 2019 and continued into October. In carrying out the assault, the pair used chopsticks and a knife to pierce Kohata’s buttocks. They also beat her with a wooden sword.

The court handed Yamamoto a 22-year prison term while Kishi received a 15-year term. “You trampled on her dignity as a person and took her life,” said presiding judge Tadayuki Okazaki.

During the trial, both defendants denied allegations of manslaughter. The prosecution had sought terms of 23 and 16 years for Yamamoto and Kishi, respectively.

“The lack of reflection upon their actions by both defendants merits no sympathy,” the family of Kohata said in a statement.

Miyuki Yamamoto, left, and Tsubasa Kishi (Twitter)

Bruises throughout

Early on October 20, 2019, police responding to a distress call arrived at a parking lot for an internet cafe in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

Officers found Kohata collapsed inside a vehicle. The woman, whose body had bruises throughout, including to her legs and abdomen, was confirmed dead at a hospital about 90 minutes later.

The results of an autopsy revealed that she died as a result of external trauma, Fukuoka Prefectural Police later said.

The person who placed the call was Kishi, an acquaintance of Kohata. Two days later, police arrested him and Yamamoto.

Host clubs

Yamamoto was a regular at host clubs in the Nakasu red-light district of Fukuoka City. According to a previous report, she befriended persons at such clubs in order to defraud them later.

That was the case with the brother of Kohata. When he disappeared, she was tasked with taking over his debt.

Kishi and Masaki Tanaka, a former gangster, assisted Yamamoto in the collection of debts. On February 1, the same court handed a 2-year prison term to Tanaka for attempted extortion. The prosecution is appealing that ruling to the Fukuoka High Court.