The first hearing of a 23-year-old man accused of robbery resulting in death and other crimes was held at the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court on Friday.
Rikuto Nagata, of no fixed address, was recruited to be part of a gang responsible for at least 50 cases of robbery and theft in 14 prefectures, NHK reported. The “Luffy” gang, as it is known, was headed by four men in the Philippines, who have since been extradited to Japan.
According to the indictment, Nagata and three other men, dressed as delivery men, broke into a house in Komae City, Tokyo, on Jan 19, 2023. They are accused of beating 90-year-old Kuniyo Oshio to death with a crowbar. They also stole a luxury watch and ring, with a total value of 590,000 yen.
The victim was found dead by members of her family in the basement of the three-story house. Her wrists were tied together with a zip band and she had been beaten about the head and had suffered a broken kneecap.
Oshio lived with her son, his wife and their two adult children. All four of them had left the house at around 8 a.m. to go to work, leaving Oshio at home alone. The first and second floors and basement of the house had been ransacked.
At the first hearing of the lay judge trial, when asked by the presiding judge if the allegations were true, Nagata replied, “No."
Nagata’s lawyer said, "The defendant did not find the victim himself, plan or carry out the crime, but was involved as a pawn. After his arrest, he has felt deep remorse and self-reproach, and has a strong intention to apologize to the victim and the bereaved family."
One of Nagata’s accomplices has already been tried and convicted. In September, Kazunari Nakanishi, who was 19 at the time, was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
The two other accomplices as well as the Luffy gang ringleaders are yet to be tried.
© Japan Today
7 Comments
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dbsaiya
Hang 'em high.
YeahRight
No need for the death sentence. Let him rot in prison for the rest of his pathetic life constantly being hammered by his own sense of guilt.
nandakandamanda
Sadly there are other cowards now copying these methods.
CaptDingleheimer
I hope the cops tuned him up real good when he was in custody.
"He only had 2 teeth when we arrested him, your honor."
Burning Bush
The book should be thrown at them.
Gorramcowboy
@YeahRight Sadly, there are people on this planet that carry no such sense of gulit and never will. And I rather not foot the bill through tax payers yen to keep them alive till they're 90 with four walls, and three square meals.
Once you commit murder willingly, especially of child or elderly age, you forfeit the right to breathe the same air as me. Period.
masterblaster
Unfortunately, with a statement like this
I fear a very light sentence with such profound remorse.*