Just because of the pond, neighbors become confrontational
Mr. Tuong and Mr. M. are not only neighbors but also relatives. However, just because of the pond bank, Tuong used a hoe to beat his severely disabled neighbor. After that moment of anger, both sides had to endure a prison sentence and physical and mental injuries.
Neighbors “talk” to each other with hoes and shovels
On the day defendant Phan Trong Tuong (69 years old), residing in Yen Thanh commune, Nghe An, was escorted to court to be tried for murder, many people attended. They were relatives and family members of the defendant and the victim.
In his green prisoner uniform, Tuong struggled to walk to the courtroom with a cane. Due to his poor health due to a stroke, the defendant was allowed to sit during the trial. As soon as he saw the victim and his relatives sitting below, the defendant with gray hair and a haggard face burst into tears. Tuong expressed his remorse for his mistake and now had to appear in court at an old age, in poor health, and sick.
Phan Trong Tuong and Mr. Phan Trong M. (54 years old, the victim in the case) are not only relatives but alsoneighbor. Rural life places great importance on neighborly love, so the two sides often visit each other's houses. But then, just because of groundless suspicion, Tuong used a hoe to hit his neighbor.
Specifically, on the afternoon of May 7, 2024, Tuong took a hoe and went to the ditch behind his house to build a dike to prevent water from flowing into his pond and rice field. After building the dike, Tuong saw Mr. M. standing at the head of the ditch. Because Tuong had seen many dead fish in his pond, he suspected that Mr. M. had removed the dike, causing dirty water from the duck pond to flow into his fish pond.
From that suspicion, Tuong took a hoe and went to where Mr. M. was standing. When he got there, Tuong cursed and raised the hoe to hit Mr. M. on the head. Reflexively, Mr. M. raised his hand to block but was still hit many times by Tuong, falling into the ditch.
The victim, who suffered injuries to his head and arm, was taken to multiple hospitals for emergency treatment and received long-term treatment. The investigation agency determined that the victim's body injury rate was 56%.
As for Phan Trong Tuong, after beating the man, he quietly went home. Later, he was arrested by the police. Suspecting that Tuong was mentally ill, the authorities took him for an autopsy. The conclusion was that before, during and after committing the crime, Tuong suffered from mild dementia, with full cognitive ability but limited ability to control his behavior.
A moment of anger, a lifetime of regret
With the above criminal acts, Phan Trong Tuong was brought to trial for murder. At the trial, the defendant initially gave a evasive statement, not admitting to using a hoe to hit the victim. The defendant said that because his eyes were blurred after the accident, he mistook Mr. M. for the pond bank. However, the defendant later admitted to intentionally using a hoe to hit the victim's head and hands. The defendant gave the reason that he beat the victim because Mr. M. insulted him.
Attending the trial, the victim stated that his health had been greatly affected after being beaten. The victim, who was already severely disabled and had lost an arm, now suffered health damage and requested the defendant to compensate him for nearly 200 million VND in hospital fees, medicine and mental damage.
Meeting the victim in court, the defendant tearfully apologized. “I know I was wrong, and I ask the victim’s family to forgive me. I will tell my children to sell some of my garden land to get money to compensate the victim for medical treatment,” Tuong said, crying and hoping that after this incident, the relationship between the neighbors and relatives between the two sides would not be affected. Before the trial took place, the defendant had persuaded the victim’s family to compensate the victim with 80 million VND.
During the trial, the defendant expressed remorse for his mistakes and asked the court to consider a lighter sentence. The defendant stated that he used to work as a police officer and received a certificate of merit during his work. When his health deteriorated, he quit that job. Up to now, the defendant has not committed any crimes. There was a peaceful relationship between the defendant and the victim until the day of the incident.
In the presence of a large crowd in the courtroom, the panel of judges reminded everyone about how to behave in daily life. Don't just raise your voice or even fight because of unfounded suspicion. Acting in anger often pushes things too far, causing harm to many people. This case is a typical lesson in anger losing one's mind.
After the trial, the panel of judges determined that Tuong had used a hoe to hit the victim's dangerous area because of baseless speculation. The defendant was aware that using a hoe to hit the victim's head, a vital part of the body, would be dangerous and could take the victim's life, but he still did it. The victim's injury was beyond the defendant's intention, and in a situation where the crime had not been completed, it should be dealt with severely. However, in this case, it is necessary to consider some mitigating circumstances for the defendant, such as his honest confession and his influence on the victim's family to partially compensate for the victim's loss. Considering the case as a whole, the panel of judges sentenced Phan Trong Tuong to 10 years in prison for murder.
Receiving a sentence higher than the one proposed by the prosecutor, the defendant's face seemed to distort. Tuong struggled to stand up and used his cane to leave. Before turning away, the defendant tried to turn back to instruct his children about compensating the victim. Having said that, the defendant quietly followed the prison officers, leaving behind the cries of his relatives.
