Noji Suguru
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Man given life term for stabbing woman to death
February 2, 2011
FUKUOKA
The Fukuoka District Court on Wednesday sentenced a 25-year-old man to life in prison for killing a woman and seriously injuring another after demanding money from them in separate stabbing incidents in Fukuoka in 2008.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Suguru Noji, saying his actions were ‘‘despicable and atrocious’’ and they did not see the possibility that the defendant can be rehabilitated.
Noji’s defense lawyers argued that the defendant was not mentally competent to take criminal responsibility as he was in a state of panic when he stabbed the women and that he routinely experiences delusions and hallucinations.
During the trial, Noji underwent mental examinations at the request of his lawyers, which showed he was mentally competent to take responsibility for his actions.
According to the indictment, Noji stabbed to death Hisako Tanaka, 78, on the premises of her apartment in Fukuoka on April 14, 2008. On March 25 the same year, he stabbed a woman in her 30s on a street in the southwestern Japanese city, seriously injuring her.
女性２人殺傷：２５歳被告に無期懲役 福岡地裁
福岡市で０８年、女性２人が襲われた連続殺傷事件で、強盗殺人罪などに問われた同市中央区草香江（くさがえ）、無職、野地卓（すぐる）被告（２５）の判決公判が２日、福岡地裁であった。松下潔裁判長は無期懲役（求刑・死刑）を言い渡した。
起訴状などによると、野地被告は０８年３月２５日、福岡市城南区で、３０代の女性会社員にナイフを突き付け現金を要求。応じなかった女性の胸や腹を刺し重傷を負わせた。また、同４月１４日には、同市早良区で、金を奪おうとナイフで女性（当時７８歳）の首を刺し失血死させた。
公判で検察側は「通り魔的な連続凶悪事件。金銭に対する欲求を満たすために他人の命を奪ってかまわないと考えた卑劣さや残虐さは際立っている」として死刑を求刑していた。一方、弁護側は「ナイフを突き付けた被害者がすぐにバッグを出さなかったことに動揺し、野地被告がパニックに陥った。責任能力を欠いていた疑いがある」として有期刑が相当と主張していた。
野地被告は事件前の０７年５月に精神科で「強迫神経症と中程度のうつ病の疑い」と診断され、治療を受けていた。事件後、検察、福岡地裁双方が精神鑑定を実施したが、いずれも責任能力を認定した。【岸達也】
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Death penalty sought for man over 2008 murder,
random stabbing
27th November 2010
FUKUOKA
Prosecutors sought the death penalty Friday for a 25-year-old man charged with stabbing a woman to death and seriously injuring another woman in another stabbing case in Fukuoka in 2008. The Fukuoka District Court is expected to hand down a ruling Feb 2 on Suguru Noji, an unemployed man living in the southwestern city being tried on murder-robbery and other charges.
In their closing arguments, the prosecutors said the crimes committed by Noji, who stabbed two women in 20 days, were tantamount to random street stabbings and extremely atrocious, adding he has not voiced apology and there is little chance he will be rehabilitated.
Noji’s defense lawyers called for lenient punishment, arguing the defendant was suffering from temporary mental disorders when he stabbed the women with knives. During the trial, Noji underwent mental examinations at the request of his lawyers, which showed he was mentally competent to take criminal responsibility.
According to the closing arguments, Noji stabbed to death Hisako Tanaka, 78, with the intent of robbing her of money on the premises of her apartment in Fukuoka on April 14, 2008. A female company employee in her 30s was also seriously injured when she was stabbed by Noji on a street in the city on March 25 of the same year.