Japan top court rejects appeal by man over 2017 murder of wife, kids

An appeal by a man convicted of killing his wife and five children before burning their house near Tokyo in 2017 was denied by Japan’s highest court on Friday, completing his death sentence.

By rejecting claims that Hirobumi Doi lacked legal competence and concluding that he bore substantial criminal responsibility for the incident in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, the Supreme Court’s No. 2 Petty Bench unanimously upheld lower court rulings.

Doi’s defense team contended that the trial process was flawed, arguing that he was unable to recall his actions because of memory loss brought on by heart failure following his indictment.

However, the appeal was denied by the Supreme Court, which stated that Doi demonstrated “strong murderous intent” and “extreme disregard for human life.”

The ruling states that on October 6, 2017, Doi, whose previous last name was Komatsu, repeatedly stabbed his family members at their home before dousing the entrance with gasoline and setting it on fire.