The Saitama District Court has sentenced a 69-year-old man to 21 years in prison for attempting to kill and rob a taxi driver last year.
According to the court ruling, Yoshiichi Segawa got into the taxi in Kawaguchi City on the night of May 21, 2024, TV Asahi reported. When the taxi arrived at its destination at around 11:40 p.m., Segawa pulled out a gun and demanded money from the 72-year-old driver. When the driver refused, Segawa shot him in the abdomen and fled.
The driver went into cardiac arrest but survived the shooting. Segawa was put on a nationwide wanted list and arrested on May 31.
While on the loose, Segawa was found to have gone to the house of a female acquaintance in Fukushima, according to security camera footage and other sources. He boarded a bullet train at JR Fukushima Station around noon on May 31 and was apprehended by police as he disembarked at Omiya Station.
During the trial, the prosecution stated that Segawa had debts of over 6 million yen and was behind on his rent and mobile phone bill payments.
In handing down the sentence, the presiding judge said “It was a crime in which the defendant did not hesitate to take another person's life. His intention to rob the taxi driver is clear from the victim's testimony and the footage from the dashcam inside the taxi."
© Japan Today/Kyodo
6 Comments
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Fountain
Wow, that’s a long sentence for attempted murder.
Why is it then that I’ve seen convicted murderers get less than 15 years in this country?
Mr Kipling
How much was he expecting to get from a taxi driver?
The guy should get an extra 20 years for being a moron.
Harry_Gatto
Probably pointless given he is 69 and has to serve a 20 year sentence taking him to 90 years old, which I doubt he will reach anyway.
Fighto!
I hope he dies in prison. 69 years old and resorts to extreme violence - and tries to kill an innocent man - to remedy his pathetic life choices. Absolute failure of a human.
Just hoping that the poor taxi driver did recover fully.
Garlic eater
But nobody died. Oh, I guess the police got a confession from him that he killed someone.
masugomi
No idea, but I just wanted to comment before comments were shut down.
I think they decide sentencing with a roll the dice. "You are hereby ordered to serve ..." (looks down at dice bouncing on table) "..13 years!"