Society

Ex-Yamato worker gets 27 years in prison for murder

Feb 04 (Japan Today) - The Kobe District Court has sentenced a former part-time worker at Yamato Transport Co to 27 years in prison for the murder of one colleague and the attempted murder of another co-worker in Kobe in 2020.

Prosecutors had sought 28 years for Shinichi Kakei, 47, a former employee at Yamato's Kobe Kita Suzurandai Center in Kita Ward, on Feb 3, Sankei Shimbun reported. After the verdict, Kakei said he had been hoping for the death penalty.

According to the indictment, Kakei fatally stabbed a 47-year-old female employee and seriously wounded a 60-year-old male employee at the distribution center at around 4 a.m. on Oct 6, 2020. The woman, Mayumi Hirono, was confirmed dead at the scene after suffering several stab wounds to her abdomen. The male employee, who was stabbed with a separate knife, sustained minor injuries, but was able to call police.

The day before, Kakei had an argument with the male employee he stabbed. Hirono attempted to break up the argument but without success. Kakei roughed her up when she tried to intervene.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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