SAITAMA (TR) – A court here has handed a 36-year-old man a prison term over the murder of his former girlfriend in Koshigaya City last year, reports Sankei Sports (Mar. 9).
At the District Court on Tuesday, presiding judge Toshiya Kawamura handed Yoshihito Mizumoto a 17-year prison term over the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Satomi Ishizawa, a company employee, on the morning of September 30, 2020.
“You targeted her neck, which shows a strong intent to kill,” judge Kawamura said. “The consequences of taking the life of a young woman are large.”
The prosecution had sought an 18-year term.
The incident happened as Ishizawa commuted to work. Mizumoto ambushed her after arriving at the scene by car.
Upon his arrest, Mizumoto said, “Between September of [2019] and July we were in a relationship. After I pressed her to get back together, I stabbed her when she refused.”
The defense argued that the defendant was a distressed mental state at the time of the incident.
However, judge Kawamura disagreed.
“You wanted to continue dating the victim but got angry and stabbed the victim, an egotistic act of you doing what you wanted,” the judge said. “The feelings of loss and sadness among the victim’s family are unimaginable. It is understandable that they are seeking a heavy sentence.”