A local court has sentenced a man who fatally stabbed his girlfriend following their breakup in January to 23 years in prison and five years of probation.  

The Daejeon District Court on Monday handed down the prison term to Cho Hyun-jin for murder.

The 27-year-old was convicted of stabbing his former girlfriend with a weapon he had brought into the bathroom of her residence in the South Chungcheong provincial city of Cheonan on January 12. The victim's mother was outside the bathroom at the time of the crime.

In its ruling, the court said it was difficult to imagine the shock and fear the victim must have experienced during the attack, as well as the agonizing pain suffered by her mother.

However, it took into account the fact that Cho is a first-time offender while also considering his emotionally unstable life.

During a final hearing of the trial last month, prosecutors had sought a life sentence and 20 years of electronic tracking for Cho.