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Ichihashi appeals against life sentence for killing British teacher

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“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.”

That is fine. But he should do that behind bars, otherwise the statement is not believable.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

he needs to be sent 20 years of hard labor

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

too late, but its good to apologize than nothing, japanese really appreciated the words SORRY! maybe they will forgive you??? but problem is the woman u killed not a japanese so stay in prison for the rest of your life!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If doesn't get life imprisonment, the international community will look at Japan's judicial system as weak, ineffective, and shameful.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

wipeout, do you know if such evidence was given at the trial or if it was withheld? I wonder if the family has stayed quiet about it because it may affect the appeal process.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

hopefully the court will change his life sentence to death @ the gallows horrible piece of garbage that he is.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He raped and killed her, holding her throat for 3 minutes. No, doesn't sound like an accident to me. Rot in jail for the rest of your life you pathetic little waste of a human being.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The most sickening part of this whole ordeal is all the sympathetic press he's getting. I really don't need to see another dramatic reenactment of his "confessions" or an interview with a former boss praising how "hardworking" and "serious" he was. It's only a matter of time before he makes the plea that Hawker seduced him because everyone knows that foreign women are harlots and damaged goods. Wonder how this trial would play out if he had raped and murdered a Japanese woman.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

WilliBMAR. 17, 2012 - 05:01PM JST fidaruzki:

But he was sentenced to life, not to death.

oh yeah. I forgot, it was a life sentence. my bad.

but a person who would do that, and get away lightly, may do it again. This is not about you were driving by a countryside, when someone suddenly walked into your path and you drove into them. this is about someone who were raped and strangled and put into a tub filled with sand. it might not an act of trying to disposed of evidence, but it was still trying to conceal murder and evidence

0 ( +0 / -0 )

denied any murderous intent

Who cares about what he intended to do? He raped her, buried her in a sand filled bathtub and killed her.

I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her

Guess what. You can't. Coz you kiled her.

But his lawyer insisted that the life sentence was too harsh,

In that I agree. Death sentence would have been too light, an easy way out. Now shut up and rot in jail. Makes me feel with anger every time I see your name in papers first by writing a book and now appealing by against your sentence. And that's just me, just imagine how the family should feel.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Nicky Washida & wipeout,

Are you saying you don't think there's sufficient evidence against him for a murder conviction? That's what you look to be suggesting.

No, the opposite. Ichihashi claims he didn't plan to kill her. But I'm wondering if she was tortured before being raped and strangled.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

fidaruzki:

But he was sentenced to life, not to death.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't know about Japan, but in my country, once you were sentenced with death penalty, it has automatic appeal process, even if the lawyers didn't file for appeals.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Where is this guy getting the money to pay for his attorney's activities? (

Pro Bono.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Apologise by doing your time, quietly, without attracting the media's attention.

I for one, would hate for him to be let out early....only to see him plugging his book on daytime T.V

Anyone with any doubts about this should read about the case of Issei Sagawa .... he also had influencial people helping him out, soon enough, the cannibal killer was a guest on cookery shows !

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.”

No problem. Do it behind bars.
3 ( +3 / -0 )

His arguement is he committed a felony that resulted in the death of his victim, Lidsay Ann Hatcher. He does not want to accept being responsible for her death because in doing so it shall result in his own death. Now it is his time to be quiet. He made a choice to attack this teacher, raping her and then killing her, e received due process now it time for him to live up to his sentence he was convicted of.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I agree, please please accept his appeal against life sentence and give him death sentence which he deserves.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Where is this guy getting the money to pay for his attorney's activities? (And the plastic surgery before then?)

He was guilty as charged. He was committing a rape when he also ended up killing his rape victim. Does it matter whether he actually meant for his strangulation of the woman to result in her death?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

perhaps they ought to hang him instead

Hanging is too good for him.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yeah, if he thinks life in prison is too harsh perhaps they ought to hang him instead and save him (and us) the grief. Too bad this coward won't give a final apology himself. Guess the state has to yank it out of him with a noose.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He should withdraw his appeal, serve his sentence, show remorse every single day, and eventually he might be released.

Statistically no. Muki-choeki, is a de-facto life imprisonment under harsh conditions in the Japanese penal system.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.” Hindsight is 20/20

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He should withdraw his appeal, serve his sentence, show remorse every single day, and eventually he might be released.

Life without parole? (Original sentence I do believe) He'll be released when he dies!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Now, that he has a following with ONLY Japanese girls and boy lovers. He wants to be set free so he can run his cult followers. What a crock of sh!t

2 ( +2 / -0 )

He wants to spend the rest of his life to apologise to the victim's family, then he should stay behind bars for the rest of his life!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

He killed her, it was intentional, he got off likely with life in prison. This maggot should accept his fate and keep his mouth shut! If there is any justice, the appeals court will up the sentence to hanging!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I wonder if her body was found with any evidence that he physically harmed her before the choking took place

HE RAPED HER!!!!

@netninja - thanks hon.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I wonder if her body was found with any evidence that he physically harmed her before the choking took place.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

accident is when you drop a glass of water. you don't say accident to covering one mouth while you rape her

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Ichihashi had training in martial arts-he would have known that the neck is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body.Whilst raping a girl with your hands around her neck is likely to end in death methinks.......

4 ( +4 / -0 )

“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.”

I seriously doubt that the family wants to keep hearing from this sicko. They'll never forget their daughter of course, and the trauma that her murder caused. But they probably want to forget everything about him.

He really has a sick inflated ego to think that a life long apology from him would make a difference in their lives. He should just disappear forever, never to be heard from again. Narcissistic pervert, just crawl back in your hole.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

You are only sorry you were caught!

If you were really sorry why the hell did you go on the run for 2.5 years and change your face?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

No forgiveness for the crime this man committed. Shut your mouth and pay for the crime.

Poor innocent lady simply believe all goes well, and did not realize the trap which was plotted.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I cant believe this is still dragging out. They need to put him under the jail. He just wants to get out so he can get some of that book and movie money

1 ( +1 / -0 )

See these coward killers. They want to do the crime but don't want to do the time. Man up Ichihashi and go get yourself a rope and do everyone a great big favor. Life sentence is NOT good enough for this type of crime. Eye for an eye is just punishment in my books.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You see, your honor, I proved I could go 2 1/2 years without killing anyone.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

K-E-I-O, K-E-I-O, K-E-I-O, and aiding and abetting is a crime also. Is it? A man runs out of his condo without shoes and a wallet and disappears into the deep city night with police in hot pursuit…instead of building a blue tarp tent on the river, becoming a raging queen, or swinging himself in the sea of foliage at the foot of most sacred Fuji, he has facial reconstruction and appears to be doing well although his wanted poster is on every other wall in the country!!!! With no shoes and a wallet and on the run?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If he was truly remorseful, then he would know that that the sentence was fair and that he has to stay in prison for life What a slimy degenerate, still trying to carve out this disgusting 'anti-hero/misunderstood' role for himself. I remember when he was found after his cowardly 2 year run from the law 'Oh I read alot of Haruki Murakami and lived in a cave, thought alot about life', as if he had just come back from a 'self-discovery' trip to India. Egotistical, un-self aware narcissist. Has he blamed the pressures of Japanese society yet for his crime?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's not only the murder, but his previous records of stalking and abusing women, the way he lured the girl, the way he killed, tortured and planned out the horrific decomposition of the corpse, the way he eluded the police, all his fugitive life, his extraordinary skill in killing, hiding, faking documents, his narcissistic sanctimoniously role playing of the penitent remorseful unfortunate sufferer and trying to picture himself as victim would give worry if he should be free again.

While I disapprove prison punishments in general, as a punishment and don't expect any favorable outcome of it, I agree that a rabid instinct guided deformed creatures like he is, cannot be allowed to walk freely.

YubaruMar. 16, 2012 - 07:26AM JST

It is not about stomping on individual's rights, its about lawyers skill and Ichihashi's supporters who provide monetary support for him for lawyers and about tricky courtroom technique. Please note that innocent and honest citizens also have their individual rights that should not be stomped on by expensive, skillful advocate lawyers who could and would manage to acquit even a mass murderer is they are paid generously.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I believe him. I think he wants to buy some Kasutera and tea then sit down with the family to talk about how he made a mistake.

This guy has one oar in the water.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

He may not have intended to kill her. Its possible. Do I care? No, I don't. Even if it was not his intent to kill, she died in the process of a brutal, merciless, intentional and pre-meditated assault. That means the only way to determine if the killing was intentional or not is that we have to be able read minds. Well, we can't. If you don't want to be found guilty of murder, its really as simple as not viciously attacking someone like this. And if you do and they die, well to fricken bad. You should have invented a mind reading device beforehand, so we could know you did not really mean to kill.

I would be much more happy about this appeal if there was chance his life sentence could be upgraded to a life sentence in complete isolation in complete darkness with maybe some hungry rats for company.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I want he must be punished for that crime and that punishment should be a lesson for other criminals just to stay away from the crime world..................................

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Do you know that on appeal the court can also increase the sentence, lets hope they do, and change his sentence from Life to Death.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

What a waste of taxpayer money. Get out the rope.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Oh, the "innocent" act. How surprised am I.

He deserves the exact amount of mercy he showed to his victim.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

i wonder how the prosecutors/doctors could determine with any certainty that he strangled her for three minutes.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

He is lucky they don't give him the death penalty. He should spend the rest of his life apologizing to her family in prison behind bars.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This guy is obviously seriously disturbed. Want to spend the rest of his life apologizing to the family? What a flake. Do it once and be done with it. Pretty sure they don't want to hear even a peep from him.

Whatever this guy says and does, I can't see the courts shortening his sentence as being a possibility. He did what he did with intent, tried to hide the body, escaped the police, kept in hiding for a long time, even getting surgery to keep hiding. That doesn't say apology.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

No one here is buying your act, Ichihashi. I hope that the court doesn't either.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Her windpipe was crushed. Had she been simply smothered you could almost buy the 'accidental' excuse, but it requires a certain degree of force to strangle and break the windpipe, and that is as much a crime of rage as it is intent to kill. There is no way he the possibility she might die DIDN'T cross his mind.

What's more, if the guy was truly remorseful as he claims why did he run for a year and undergo plastic surgery? I could see if he fled the scene then turned himself in after a couple of days, but even as it is he was CAUGHT -- he didn't turn himself in in the end at all. This guy is scum, and I pray the court upholds the sentence (I have my doubts).

4 ( +9 / -5 )

running away, really showed his regret

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Three minutes of strangulation isn't accidental nor unintended.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"He's wasting oxygen"

He's also wasting my tax money.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

His hand slipped?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

He genuinely seems to believe that he is basically innocent; things simply went wrong.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Raping and killing than plastic surg to run from crime. And finally apolozice, this guy is sick why dont they hang him to death!!!!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Yeah, he felt sooooo guilty that he got PLASTIC SURGERY to evade capture, Definitely sounds like he was consumed with remorse.

I don't really support the death penalty, but I do believe he should receive the harshest punishment available under the law, and in Japan that just happens to be the death penalty.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Nope. I said it before and I said it again. The Hawker family did not understand Japanese law. Whenever you say "You are satisfied with the judgement" it all ends there.

They didn't go for the death penalty and now Ichihashi can plea down to to lets say "12 years" from a life sentence. They failed to recognize Ichihashi's parents who are both affluent and helped conceal their son. No proof needed. Some things you just know.

Lets assume the appeal is successful. The judge lowers the sentence cause the Hawker family doesn't show up. Then Ichihashi's time served will be recognized and he'll be back out on the streets of Tokyo in less than 3 years cause that's how long the case is going to take.

Oh Nicky, loved your iReport on CNN btw

3 ( +7 / -4 )

This piece of crap Ichihashi should HANG!! Life in prison?? Where is the JUSTICE IN JAPAN!!???!!!??

6 ( +10 / -4 )

I knew it. This weasel will not give up.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

So what do we think... 2 years and a 5 year suspended sentence, with the murder being described as regrettable?

0 ( +7 / -7 )

I have full faith that the Japanese courts will uphold his sentence.

I really hope you are right, but I dont think I share your faith.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

He's wasting oxygen.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Right to appeal? OK with that. But it should be a gamble. If he is found guilty again, he should get a harsher sentence.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

@Yubaru: agree with your first paragraph.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.”

the family has already said in public that he should get full time and stay there. now he's asking to come out! that's an insult not an apology.

21 ( +23 / -2 )

While I believe his sentence fit the crime I do believe as well that his right to appeal should be heard as well. We can not stomp on individual's rights purely because we view their actions as being atrocious.

I have full faith that the Japanese courts will uphold his sentence.

-9 ( +12 / -21 )

Not apologetic at all. Do your time you tool!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Ichihasi, you piece of garbage, the least you can do is shut your mouth and pay for your crime. You "want to use the rest of [your] life to apologize to her and her bereaved family"? Do it by staying out of the papers, leaving your lawyer at home, and sitting in your jail cell until you're judged by whatever comes after this life.

33 ( +37 / -3 )

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