Death sentence for man convicted of Tokyo mass stabbing attack

The man behind a 2008 mass stabbing attack in Tokyo has been sentenced to death.

Tokyo District Court’s decision comes after Tomohiko Kato, 28, last year pleaded guilty to murdering seven people and injuring 10 others in the capital’s Akihabara district, in a crime that shocked the nation.

The former factory worker slammed a truck into a crowd of people and then stabbed passers-by.

The court determined that Kato was mentally competent at the time.

It rejected the defence’s request for leniency in sentencing, according to the Kyodo news agency.

Akihabara is a popular shopping district known for electronics and Japanese pop culture.