Lawyers for Hiroshi Zota, who went on a rampage in September on a street in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, killing two people and injuring eight others, claimed Wednesday that their client was probably insane at that time.
Appearing in his first trial session before the Tokyo District Court, Zota, 24, owned up to charges that he randomly killed and injured his victims on Sept. 8.
But his lawyer said the defendant may not be held liable for the charges because he was most likely suffering from either an unsound or feeble mind, and asked the court to conduct a psychiatric test at an early stage of the trial proceedings.