The Daegu District Court sentenced three men in their 40s to seven to 15 years in prison Wednesday for brutally assaulting and consequently killing a man in his 50s who was living with them.

The prosecution ordered the 46-year-old main suspect to serve 15 years in prison, while handing his two accomplices a seven-year jail term.

On April 19, the four men were playing a game of cards between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. when an argument arose over a past grudge. The main suspect initiated a fist fight and brutally assaulted the victim multiple times using his hand and feet. The two accomplices joined in on the attack. The victim died at the scene following persistent fatal blows. 

It is reported that the three suspects continued to play cards, despite seeing the victim lifelessly lying on the floor.

All four, unemployed at the time, had first met at a local bar in Daegu. Their relationship of “drinking buddies” soon turned into “roommates” as the three suspects moved in to the victim‘s house.

The main suspect argued in court that he held no intention of killing the victim and could not have possibly predicted the victim’s death after the assault.

The court, however, did not take the appeal into consideration. The court view that the suspects’ “lack of appreciation for human life” cannot be tolerated for any reason.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)