OSAKA (TR) – The Osaka District Court last week handed a 26-year-old man a prison term over the killing of his former girlfriend two years ago, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Nov. 2).
On Thursday, presiding judge Kentaro Iijima handed Ryoma Sumida a 16-year prison term for using a ceramic knife to stab 21-year-old Yuki Kojima, 21, to death on the morning of July 11, 2015. The prosecution had sought an 18-year term.
The defense argued that Sumida suffers from a personality disorder, a condition that results in an unsound mind. The prosecution, however, did not agree with the assessment, saying the defendant was liable for the crime.
In handing down the ruling, the court recognized the condition. However, the defendant had control over his actions at the time of the crime, the court said.
According to a previous report, the victim had sustained multiple stab wounds to her neck. The results of an autopsy revealed that she died due to loss of blood as a result of her carotid artery being slashed.
Sumida admitted to the allegations at the time of his arrest, telling police that he stabbed Kojima because she said she wanted to end their relationship.
Prior to the incident, a male acquaintance accompanied Kojima to the apartment. After she entered through the door by herself, the acquaintance heard a scream. He then climbed into the residence via the balcony of an adjacent apartment and made the grisly discovery.
