87-year-old man gets 8 years in prison for killing 81-year-old wife

TOKYO — The Tokyo District Court has sentenced an 87-year-old man to eight years in prison for killing his 81-year-old ailing wife at their home in Tokyo, last year to eight years in prison.

According to the ruling, Haruo Yoshida strangled his wife Kyoko to death with both hands on Dec 14 last year at their home in Nerima Ward, Kyodo News reported. Yoshida called 119 at around 4:30 p.m. that day and said he had killed his wife. Police found Kyoko lying in the hallway, unconscious. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kyoko had a leg disability and had been unable to walk for about a year. Yoshida told the court that he he was worn out from looking after her.

He said: “It's a nursing care issue. I can't do housework, and I've never cooked rice. I just couldn’t go on like that anymore.”

In handing down the ruling, the presiding judge said: “The victim was not in a state where she needed nursing care, but the defendant killed her because he was anxious about the future. It was a short-sighted crime based on a selfish motive.

“It is only natural to imagine the psychological shock the victim must have suffered, being suddenly strangled by her husband with whom she had shared her life for many years.”

The couple had been married for more than 50 years.

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