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Japan's top court on Friday rejected an appeal by a man convicted of killing his wife and five children before setting their home on fire near Tokyo in 2017, finalizing his death sentence. The Supreme Court's No. 2 Petty Bench, in a unanimous decision by its four judges, upheld lower court rulings, rejecting arguments that Hirobumi Doi lacked legal competence and ruling that he bore significant criminal responsibility for the incident in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture.
His defense team argued that the trial process was flawed, claiming Doi suffered memory loss due to heart failure after his indictment, which prevented him from recalling his actions. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the appeal, saying Doi exhibited a "strong murderous intent" and exemplified "extreme disregard for human life." According to the ruling, Doi, whose previous surname was Komatsu, stabbed his family members multiple times at their home on Oct 6, 2017, before pouring gasoline near the entrance and setting it on fire.
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