A high school student who introduced an acquaintance in a robbery-murder case in Kamimikawa-cho, Tochigi Prefecture, admits to the charges at his first trial.

The first trial of an 18-year-old high school student from Sagamihara City, who was charged with violating the Employment Security Act (referral of harmful work) for introducing an acquaintance as the perpetrator in a robbery-murder case in which a female resident was murdered in a house in Kamimikawa-cho, Tochigi Prefecture, was held on the 15th at the Utsunomiya District Court (presiding judge Yumiko Takashima). The boy acknowledged the charges and said, ``I was told that I would be paid 10 million yen for the job of recovering the gold that had been stolen (by the 16-year-old boy who is said to have been responsible for the crime).''

When questioned by the defendant, the boy explained, ``I wanted to introduce him to an acquaintance who was having trouble with money and had been looking for a part-time job in the dark.'' As for why he did not join the group, he said he thought there was a risk of counterattack by the person who wanted to get the gold back.``I didn't want to get beaten up even though I didn't know if I would get the money back,'' he said.

He said he thought ``Maybe it was a crime'' and ``Maybe he was lying to gather people,'' and that he ``panicked'' when he learned of the incident.

``I was hoping that I might get some money by introducing him,'' he said, but he also regretted it, saying, ``If I hadn't introduced him, the incident might not have happened,'' and ``I should have stopped.''

The prosecution asked for a sentence of one year and six months in prison, while the defense requested a suspended sentence and the trial concluded on the same day. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19th.