The first hearing in the lay-judge trial of a 24-year-old unemployed man charged with robbery resulting in death opened at the Yokohama District Court on the 11th, with the defendant denying the fatal-injury charge in a Yokohama home invasion that killed a 75-year-old resident.
The defendant, identified as Masatsuki Takarada of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, is accused over one of a series of "yami baito" robberies that struck the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2024. The term refers to illicit jobs recruited through social media, often for theft and robbery. Presiding Judge Kenji Yasunaga is hearing the case.
What prosecutors allege
According to the indictment, Takarada conspired with two co-defendants, Shu Fujii, 28, and Rikuto Kubota, 23, to break into a house in Aoba Ward, Yokohama, on October 15, 2024. The three are accused of assaulting the male resident, then 75, and stealing about 170,000 yen in cash and other items. The man died from bleeding caused by bruises across his body, the Asahi Shimbun reported.
Fujii and Kubota have each been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Chiba District Court.
In opening statements, prosecutors said Takarada, who was in debt, applied for an underground job on social media to obtain money. They said a handler invited him through messages that mentioned "tataki" (breaking in) and "akisu" (burglary), among other offers, and that he applied while recognizing a robbery could take place. He also knew at the scene that a robbery was under way, they said.
Prosecutors argued that the charge of robbery resulting in death holds even if Takarada did not commit the assault himself, as long as he conspired with the others.
Defense says no intent to use violence
Takarada told the court he did not use violence and had no intention of doing so. "I did not use violence, and I did not intend to," he said. "I did not think Fujii or Kubota would either."
His lawyers argued that only trespassing and theft are established. They said his autism spectrum disorder traits and a history of abuse left him following instructions without understanding the handler's intent.
Accounts of the three defendants diverge
The accounts of the three defendants conflict. At the Chiba District Court, Fujii said that apart from striking the man with a belt, he did not assault him. Kubota said he saw Takarada hit the man with a tool and Fujii kick him around the head. Kubota said he did not take part because "I don't like violence."