A 44-year-old man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years, suspended for four years, by the Mito District Court in Ibaraki Prefecture on Friday after he was found guilty of assault following a road rage incident on an expressway in the prefecture in August 2019.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 3 years and 8 months for Fumio Miyazaki.
According to the court ruling, Miyazaki blocked a car driven by a 24-year-old man with his own vehicle on the Joban Expressway in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, at around 6:15 a.m. on Aug 10, Fuji TV reported. He punched the man in the face several times while shouting something like "I'll kill you.” The incident was recorded by the dashboard camera in the victim's car.
Miyazaki, who lived in Osaka, was put on a wanted list, after his vehicle was identified as being involved in a number of reckless driving incidents in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures.
Miyazaki told the court that he once had to stop abruptly after the car in front of him stopped suddenly. After that, he said he wanted other drivers to know what it felt like to have someone do that to them.
Editor: The story has been corrected to show that the defendant received a suspended sentence.
© Japan Today
18 Comments
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James
Although I certainly don't condone the behavior I can truly say the thought of doing it myself has crossed my mind often enough. I now have dash cam and rear cam's and have 100's of hours of bad driver footage. where people cut in front with no indicators on people zipping in and out of traffic pedestrians and cyclists doing stupid stuff. grannys pushing their scooters across the crossings to bypass traffic lights. and it gets worse around the end of the year when everybody is trying to get everything finished before the end of year celebrations.
Mickelicious
This was one of the highest profile cases in recent times, prompting a change in the law, yet this neanderthal gets a suspended sentence after repeatedly punching a guy on the motorway?
Do the hustle
How long did he lose his license for?
TrevorPeace
That 'judge' should lose his position.
Zaphod
Wth? Suspended? The assault was for real. He should at least serve some time.
ohara
Miyazaki told the court that he once had to stop abruptly after the car in front of him stopped suddenly. After that, he said he wanted other drivers to know what it felt like to have someone do that to them.
This is a not uncommon occurrence when driving. He should NOT have a drivers license.
Sven Asai
If you knew... Of course he is soon an inmate. Nobody like him has the slightest chance to stand such four years...lol
Random
A drunk guy gets 10 months for saying he has corona in a store and this guys gets nothing after an assault. No justice here.
borscht
Seriously, though, why suspended? Why not a lessor sentence but not suspended, like a year?
fleg
Despite the suspended sentence, he'll end up in prison sooner rather than later. I'm sure his rage issues go far beyond the confines of a car. People like this are always looking for a reason to get angry and teach somebody a lesson for whatever perceived slight they feel has been inflicted on them. It's just a matter of time before he loses it on somebody at the station, on the train, in line at the convenience store, or at the local izakaya. His suspended sentence will be revoked and he'll be behind bars where hopefully someone much angrier and much stronger will decide to teach him a lesson when he steps out of line.
nandakandamanda
Only suspended? I hope he is suspended over the expressway.
Random
Total BS, if anyone deserved a prison sentence it was this guy.
Sal Affist
He also needs to lose his license for a long, long time if he isn't going to be in the pokey.
3RENSHO
Given the extreme anti-social nature of the offense, a very reasonable ruling by Mito District Court; is it a suspended sentence?
Moderator: Yes, the story has been amended to show that.
gaicuckojin
Is it me, or is the road rage getting worse and worse every year
Speed
I would've loved to have seen Mr. Road Rage stop a car with the wrong big mean mother in it and had his face punched out. That'd teached him!