Former Professional Baseball Coach Sentenced to Imprisonment for Kidnapping and Assaulting Girlfriend

A former professional baseball coach who was indicted for kidnapping and assaulting his girlfriend during a dispute over financial issues has been sentenced to imprisonment by the court.

On the 26th, the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Ji Gwi-yeon) sentenced Mr. A to one year in prison for refusing to undergo breath analysis under the Road Traffic Act and for the charge of kidnapping resulting in injury on the 22nd.

Mr. A is accused of imprisoning his girlfriend, Ms. B, for about one hour and thirty minutes in a hotel room at around 4:20 AM on July 29 last year, while being under the influence of alcohol during an argument about financial matters.

It was investigated that, during the process of pulling Ms. B back into the room as she attempted to escape, Mr. A caused her to suffer a three-week injury.

Furthermore, when Ms. B managed to escape from the hotel room and took a taxi to flee, Mr. A chased her by driving his vehicle. He is also accused of refusing the police's request for a breath test when they arrived in response to a report.

The court noted, "Ms. B must have experienced considerable fear while being confined by Mr. A, who is a former athlete, and when she attempted to leave, her confinement continued due to Mr. A's force." It also pointed out, "Ms. B has been suffering from pain, receiving psychiatric treatment, and has requested for severe punishment for Mr. A."

In addition, the court referred to Mr. A's previous record of being fined twice for drunk driving, stating, "Drunk driving is a dangerous crime that can endanger not only one's own life but also the lives of others, and refusal to undergo breath analysis adds to the danger of drunk driving while dismissing public authority and making it difficult to detect the crime, thus necessitating strict punishment."

However, the court took into account that Mr. A kidnapped Ms. B somewhat impulsively while under the influence of alcohol, and that the duration of the kidnapping was not long, and this was considered a mitigating factor in determining the sentence.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the professional baseball team to which Mr. A belonged terminated his coaching contract immediately after this incident became known.

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