Miura’s Ex-Girlfriend Appeals Tokyo Sentence

The former girlfriend of Japanese businessman Kazuyoshi Miura appealed to the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday against a 2 1/2-year prison sentence on charges that she attempted to murder Miura’s wife in Los Angeles five years ago, a court official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave no other details on the appeal by Michiko Yazawa, 25, a former film actress.

But Kyodo News Service quoted Yazawa as saying there was a mistake in the ruling concerning her intent to murder and that the sentence was too severe.

Wife’s Injury Was Minor

Yazawa and Miura were arrested Sept. 11 and indicted Oct. 3. She was charged with trying to kill Miura’s wife with a hammer in a Los Angeles hotel room in August, 1981, at Miura’s request. Miura’s wife suffered a minor head injury in the attack.

The lower court had said Yazawa tried to kill Miura’s wife to collect insurance money.

In the opening session of her trial on Dec. 11, Yazawa’s defense said she was manipulated by Miura and had no intent to murder. Yazawa also told the court that collecting the insurance money was secondary but admitted to attacking Miura’s wife with a hammer.

Passing sentence on Yazawa on Jan. 8, presiding Judge Yoshio Shibata declared: “There is no room to provide any leniency for her egoistic and self-centered motive, because her intention was to take a share of the insurance money.”

Miura, who is being tried separately on charges of attempted murder, denied in the opening session of his trial last week that he had incited Yazawa to try to kill his wife in Los Angeles.

The next session of Miura’s trial is scheduled for Feb. 14.

The maximum penalty for attempted murder is death.

In November, 1981, Miura’s wife was shot by two unidentified men in Los Angeles. Miura himself suffered a minor leg wound. His wife died in Japan a year later, and Miura received $746,200 in insurance money. No one has been arrested in the shooting.