OSAKA (TR) – The Osaka District Court has sentenced a 66-year-old woman to five years in prison for the fatal stabbing of her ex-husband after he complained about a delayed meal, reports Yomiuri TV (June 16).
Pamela R. Okada, a self-proclaimed Philippine national, was convicted of murdering 76-year-old Masaru Okada in May 2024 at the residence they shared in Osaka City’s Minato Ward.
Upon her arrest, Okada initially admitted to the allegations. She told investigators that she plunged a kitchen knife into his chest while shouting “Die!” after he triggered her rage by asking, “Is dinner ready yet?”
History of domestic abuse
During the trial, however, the defendant changed her tune, claiming she had no memory of the stabbing. Her defense team argued that she was in a state of severe intoxication and diminished mental capacity at the time of the incident. They also claimed her actions constituted excessive self-defense against assault by the victim.
Prosecutors dismissed these claims, pointing out that Okada bypassed other tools and intentionally carried the most lethal kitchen knife from the second-floor kitchen to the victim’s third-floor bedroom. Noting that she immediately dialed 119 following the attack and accurately reported the situation to emergency dispatchers, prosecutors argued she was fully competent and sought a 12-year prison term.
In handing down the ruling on Tuesday, the court rejected the claim of self-defense, noting the victim was attacked while lying defenseless in bed. The presiding judge also ruled that while the defendant’s judgment was impaired by alcohol, she was not in a state of legally diminished mental capacity.
However, the court opted for a significantly reduced sentence of five years, taking into account a grim history of domestic abuse.
“For over 30 years, the defendant devotedly supported her family while enduring the victim’s debts and violence,” the court stated. The judge also acknowledged her immediate attempt to save his life by calling emergency services, noting that she showed genuine remorse for the crime.
