CHEONAN, South Korea-- A court on Monday sentenced a man to 23 years in prison for killing his girlfriend following their breakup.

Cho Hyun-jin, 27, was arrested in January after he stabbed his girlfriend several times in the bathroom of her home in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, while her mother was at home. She later died while being treated at a hospital.

A district court in the central city of Daejeon sentenced him to 23-year imprisonment and five-year probation. The prosecution had demanded life imprisonment.

During police interrogation, Cho said he committed the crime because the victim told him she wanted to break up.

Police later disclosed his identity because of the heinousness of the crime.

Source: Yonhap News Agency