Police in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, have arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of causing injury resulting in death after he punched a 61-year-old work colleague during a dispute at a parking lot on Monday. The man later died in hospital.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:10 a.m. Kyodo News reported that Masayuki Horikawa, a temp driver for a transport company allegedly punched the victim, Koji Kawasaki, also a temp driver for the same company.
When Kawasaki collapsed, Horikawa called 119 and said, “I punched a man. He is unconscious and not breathing.” Kawasaki was taken to hospital where he died later Monday.
Police said Horikawa has admitting punching the victim but denied intent to kill.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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obladi
I just wanted to smash his face, not kill him.
Martimurano
The rules are the same throughout the world - you keep your hands (and fists) to yourself at all times, and do not touch another person inappropriately.
This particular bullying chap will have know that his victim was certainly older than him, although he won't have known if there were any health conditions which the victim may have had, but probably didn't care or stop to think, just goes straight in with totally unreasonable aggression.
Oh well, he'll have decades behind bars to look forward to now, to contemplate his stupidity.
Ricky Kaminski13
One punch can be the end. Especially if the other guy doesn’t know it’s coming. It’s the back of the head hitting the pavement that does it. The coward punch we call it in Australia. There was a full media campaign warning against it.
Hervé L'Eisa
His intent may not have been to kill, but his action caused the death. Manslaughter.
Nihon Tora
Hmm, not sure about in Japan, but in the UK you’d probably be looking at around two years imprisonment for a 1 punch kill if there were no other aggravating factors. Japan seems to be if anything more lenient on anything other than drug offenses or offenses that adversely affect big business, so I doubt very much that it will be decades in prison, to be honest.
Martimurano
Well let's hope the prosecution succeed with the argument that the maximum amount of harm was intended in this attack, and perhaps justice can be served with the perpetrator locked away for 'life', whatever that means these days. Call it what you like, murder or manslaughter, an innocent guy has lost his life for no good reason other than the despicable evil intent of another.
He obviously had zero regard for the welfare / wellbeing / right-to-life of the victim, so it follows that the maximum penalty must be applied, especially in order to deter others. The sanctity of life is often the lowest consideration in these cases, whereas it should be the highest.
If this was your Dad who'd been killed, you'd want the criminal dead, simple as that. I don't imagine he'd be missed if that was the case.
kaimycahl
In other words Horikawa admitted punching him but he only wanted to knock him out!!! That he did!!
Police said Horikawa has admitting punching the victim but denied intent to kill.
Strangerland
Well no, there is a reason why these are differentiated under the law. So there is a big difference in what you call it.
Concerned Citizen
Imagine the guilt and remorse at the fatal consequences of yielding to a moment of anger. Sad.
WA4TKG
I don’t think the guy really cares that he killed the old guy, it’s obviously his mentality
ebisen
He's gonna get 6 years and be out in 4. Not decades.
starpunk
He's just trying to shirk his responsibility for his actions, and to 'cover his butt'. I hope the judge doesn't buy it.
If you assault somebody and the outcome is fatal, the accountability falls upon you. Think before you throw a punch!