Two perpetrators sentenced to life in prison for serial robberies that left a man in his 70s dead - Chiba District Court

A jury trial was held on the 29th at the Chiba District Court (presiding judge Koichiro Hino) for Fujii Hiiragi (28) and Kubota Rikuto (23), the perpetrators of a series of undercover part-time job robberies in the Tokyo metropolitan area, in which a 70-year-old man died in Yokohama in 2024. Prosecutors accused him of causing ``a series of serious and malicious incidents'' and asked for life imprisonment in each case.

Two perpetrators plead guilty to serial underground part-time job robberies in the Tokyo metropolitan area - Chiba District Court

The defense argued in closing arguments that he did not take the initiative in causing the incident. The trial was concluded after Fujii was sentenced to 28 years in prison, while Kubota was sentenced to 23 years. The verdict is set for November 6th.

In their argument, prosecutors said it was unclear who caused the man's fatal injuries, but argued that the repeated assaults and robberies committed by both defendants were brutal, dangerous, and vicious. ``They jointly accomplished the purpose of the robbery,'' he said, stressing that ``they should bear equally heavy responsibility.''

Both defendants apologized in their final statements. Defendant Kubota said, ``I did something that was beyond the norm.''

According to the indictment, on October 15, 2024, the two defendants broke into the home of a man in his 70s in Yokohama's Aoba Ward and assaulted him to death. On October 8 and 9 of the same month, the two defendants broke into private homes in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, and on the 17th of the same month, in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, injuring the residents and robbing them of valuables.