The Busan District Court on Tuesday handed down a suspended sentence to a deliveryman for causing the death of a resident in an apartment complex after a physical altercation over the use of an elevator.
The court imposed a two-year jail sentence suspended for three years with 80 hours of community service.
The deliveryman faced charges of manslaughter after he pushed the resident with his shoulder, causing the resident to fall head-first to the floor and suffer a traumatic brain hemorrhage.
The altercation took place in January when the resident, who was intoxicated at the time, kicked the delivery cart and verbally abused the deliveryman for occupying the elevator for approximately six minutes.
The deliveryman kept the elevator open by placing parcels on the threshold to expedite the delivery process due to the high demand for delivery services ahead of the Lunar New Year season.
A jury trial consisting of seven jurors found the deliveryman guilty of manslaughter, leading to his conviction.
The court reasoned its decision on the sentence, stating that although the defendant had a previous conviction for defamation twice and was found guilty of causing death in this case, the act appeared to be unintentional due to the fact that the deliveryman promptly called 911 after the accident and attempted to reconcile with the bereaved family.
After spending five months in custody during the trial, the deliveryman was released today.
