Three years ago, the defendant was sentenced to death in the first trial for driving a stolen truck on a national road in Miharu, Fukushima Prefecture without a license and intentionally hitting and killing two unrelated men and women. , The Sendai High Court in the second trial canceled the death sentence and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Defendant Yoshitaka Morifuji (53), who has no fixed address and is unemployed, was a 55-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman who had been driving a stolen truck on a national highway in Miharu Town without a license three years ago in May. He is charged with murder and hit-and-run for intentionally killing two people.
The defendant had just left prison two days before the incident, serving time on another charge.
While the first trial handed down the death penalty as requested, the defendant appealed, claiming that there was no murderous intent.
In the judgment of the second trial on the 16th, Chief Judge Shigeyuki Fukasawa of the Sendai High Court pointed out, ``He is causing the case because he wants to return to prison, and is self-centered and malicious.''
On the other hand, he said, ``The death sentence is decided in unavoidable cases, so we should be careful, and there is room for consideration in this crime with a desperate motive.'' was handed over.