Korean businessman freed on illegal possession of firearm charge

A Korean businessman, Jin Kuk Kim, who was accused of hitting his wife in the head with his licensed firearm during a heated argument at their home last year in Spalding, Manchester, has been freed of illegal possession of firearm.

After the wife testified at the trial in the Manchester Circuit Court, K.D. Knight, QC, and attorney-at-law Marcus Greenwood made a no-case submission. The lawyers argued that the complainant had fabricated the alleged use of the firearm claim. They also submitted that the credibility of the wife had been so discredited during cross-examination that no reasonable tribunal could convict her husband.

Justice Glen Brown upheld the submissions.

The businessman is also accused of beating his wife severely during the quarrel. The charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against him has been transferred to

the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court for trial in January next year.

Evidence was given by the wife that during the quarrel, her husband became abusive and began beating her. She said that during the course of the beating, he used his loaded Glock firearm to hit her in the head. She later made a report to the police.

assaulted her

Under cross-examination, it was pointed out to her that her statement to the police differed in several material areas from what she had said in court.

She testified that her husband came to her room dressed in a pair of shorts and pulled the gun from his waist and assaulted her.

It was pointed out to her under cross-examination that in her statement to the police, she said that when he hit her in the head, she realised it was with the gun. She admitted that in her statement, no indication had been given that the gun was pulled from the waist of the pair of shorts her husband was wearing.

Knight argued that since the illegal possession of firearm charge had failed, the judge should acquit the businessman of the assault charge, but the judge disagreed.