YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) A 23-year-old U.S. sailor was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for killing a taxi driver in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in March last year.
The Yokohama District Court found Seaman Olatunbosun Ugbogu, a Nigerian national, guilty of murder and robbery in the death of Masaaki Takahashi, 61.
During his trial that began in December, the focal point was whether Ugbogu was mentally competent and could be held responsible for his acts. He testified in court he heard "voices" ordering him to kill the taxi driver.
Presiding Judge Masaaki Kawaguchi found Ugbogu fully competent.
Ugbogu pleaded not guilty and lawyers argued for a not-guilty verdict, insisting he was insane at the time of the crime.
Prosecutors had sought life in prison, arguing Ugbogu gave false testimony and was fully competent.
A court-commissioned psychiatric test found him sufficiently competent to be held responsible for his acts.
Ugbogu got into Takahashi's taxi in Tokyo on March 19, 2008, instructed him to stop in Yokosuka, about 60 km southwest of the capital, then failed to pay the fare and fatally stabbed Takahashi with a knife, the prosecutors said.
He then fled from the scene of the crime.
Ugbogu, who was a crew member of the 9,600-ton guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, deserted from the navy earlier the same month.