Wife sentenced to 15 months in prison for using a pestle to kill her husband.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of January 6, 2017, the Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial to hear the case of Moong Me Phia (born in 1971), residing in Bao Thang commune, Ky Son district, on the charge of "Murder committed in a state of extreme emotional distress".

According to the indictment, during their marriage, Mr. Moong Van Tinh (Mrs. Phia's husband) frequently got drunk, came home, cursed, threatened, and beat his wife and children. On September 11, 2016, Mr. Tinh, drunk, cursed and threatened to kill his wife, but neighbors intervened, so he went to sleep. Upon waking up, Tinh grabbed an axe and a hammer and approached his wife, who was cooking, threatening to kill her.

Defendant Phia at the trial. (Photo by Nhu Binh)

Mrs. Phia, terrified, ran to the door, but her husband had locked it. Turning back, she shoved him forcefully, causing Mr. Tinh to fall onto the bed. She then repeatedly struck him in the groin and head with a wooden pestle, rendering him unconscious. After neatly arranging his legs on the bed, Mrs. Phia ran to the neighbor's house to announce that her husband had committed suicide by drinking rat poison and was dead.

However, realizing the gravity of her actions, on September 12th, Ms. Phia surrendered to the Ky Son District Police and confessed to her crime.

At the trial, the defendant Moong Me Phia sincerely confessed to her crime and hoped for leniency from the law. Considering that the victim was at fault and the defendant's actions stemmed from frustration caused by prolonged domestic violence, the court sentenced Moong Me Phia to 15 months in prison. Regarding civil matters, since the victim's children and parents have not yet reached an agreement, the court decided to separate this into a different case for later trial.

Nhu Binh