OSAKA (TR) – A court here has handed a 50-year-old woman a 30-month prison term for fleeing prosecutors in Kishiwada City last year, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (Oct. 22).
On the morning of October 30, 2019, Kimie Noguchi used a vehicle driven by her son, 31, to flee from prosecutors at the Kishiwada branch of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Two prosecutors who were accompanying Noguchi when she fled were struck by the vehicle, resulting in minor injuries to both.
Noguchi, who at the time went by the surname Okazaki, was apprehended in neighboring Izumi City on November 1.
During the trial, she partially denied the allegations. “I did not intend to hit [the prosecutors] with the car,” she said.
“You knew there was a chance of a collision [with the prosecutors] when you departed in the vehicle,” said presiding judge Chiwaki Matsuda at the Osaka District Court in handing down the ruling on Thursday.
Prosecutors had sought a term of four years and six months.
“The responsibility is heavy”
In January, 2019, police arrested Okazaki for causing a traffic accident resulting in injury while driving without a license. After being released on bail, she failed to attend two hearings, which resulted in her bail being withdrawn in September.
She was later detained. On the day of the incident, prosecutors began explaining the detention procedure to her. During that session, she said “I want to retrieve a bag.” After leading prosecutors to the vehicle outside, she abruptly jumped inside.
After she fled, prosecutors sought her whereabouts on suspicion of interfering with the duties of a public servant and attempted murder. However, she was only convicted of the former charge and inflicting injury.
“Interfering with detention operations is malicious,” judge Matsuda added.
