Shin Hye Sung, a member of the group Shinhwa, has received a suspended sentence for the offense of refusing to take a breathalyzer test by the police and driving someone else’s car while intoxicated.
On the afternoon of the 20th, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s Criminal Division 4 sentenced Shin to six months in prison with a one-year probation period for violating the Road Traffic Act and driving illegally. In a previous trial, the prosecution had sought a two-year prison sentence for him.
Shin was arrested in Seoul at 1:40 AM on October 11th last year for a suspected violation of the Road Traffic Act. He had been driving under the influence of alcohol and fell asleep after driving about 10km. The car he was driving had been reported stolen, but the police could not prove intentional theft, so they charged him with illegal car use.
The judge provided a justification for the sentence, stating that “Obstructing an alcohol test is a serious offense in itself, and the defendant has a prior record of punishment for drunk driving.”
On the other hand, the court also considered Shin’s admission of his offense, his reflection on the incident, and the absence of any physical or material damage caused by the accident. Furthermore, the court also took into consideration that Shin reached a settlement with the owner of the car.
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