Ex-husband sentenced to death for drugs, wife still 'follows old footsteps'
(Baonghean.vn) - Although her ex-husband was sentenced to death for drug trafficking, Chien still embarked on a life of crime, selling heroin to many people. On the day of his trial, Chien gave many reasons to justify his wrongdoings...
Nguyen Thi Chien (41 years old), residing in Bao Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, was recently tried by the People's Court of Nghe An province for the crime of“Illegal drug trafficking”. Chien's small, short stature made him seem lost in the vast courtroom. Many times, Chien raised his handcuffed hands to wipe away tears when he saw his children sitting behind him.
Since Chien was arrested and detained, the three children have had to look after each other and rely on relatives. Because the female defendant's ex-husband was also involved in drugs and is currently awaiting execution.
According to the authorities, the defendant's ex-husband, Nguyen Canh Vinh (born in 1973), and his accomplices trafficked more than 4.4 kg of drugs from Nghe An to Dak Nong province in early February 2020. This drug trafficking ring was exposed and Nguyen Canh Vinh was arrested. With an exceptionally large amount of drugs, Vinh was sentenced to death.
Her ex-husband was convicted of drug trafficking and received the maximum sentence, but that did not deter Chien. This woman repeated her old mistakes, buying drugs to resell to customers. Chien’s actions not only violated the law but also left a bad example for her children who already lacked the love of a father.
According to the indictment, around the end of August 2022, while on his way to his mother's house, Chien met a woman named Hoa who was pushing a motorbike because she had run out of gas. This person asked to borrow 100,000 VND to fill up the gas tank, so Chien told her to go to his house to get the money. From that acquaintance, Chien began to contact that woman.
In early November 2022, Hoa asked Chien if he wanted to buy drugs. Chien immediately ordered a package of pink heroin for 4.5 million VND. On the morning of November 17, Hoa gave Chien 17 packages of pink heroin, closing the price at more than 76 million VND.
Because Chien did not have enough money, the seller agreed to extend the debt. Chien divided the drugs into small packages and hid them in many places in the house such as the edge of the yard, the bedroom, in his bag, etc. with the intention of gradually selling them to customers.
On November 20, 2022, a customer called Chien to order 1 million VND worth of drugs. At noon that day, when Chien was carrying pink pills disguised in a cigarette pack to deliver to the customer, he was caught red-handed by the police. Searching Nguyen Thi Chien's residence, the police discovered many packages of drugs hidden in different locations. The authorities determined that Chien must bear criminal responsibility for the act of buying and selling more than 300 grams of drugs.
Responding to the questions of the jury, the defendant initially gave a evasive statement. Chien said he did not know how much the drugs cost. The defendant also said he did not know the quantity of the heroin. After a period of questioning, the defendant admitted to drug trafficking as charged in the indictment.
The female defendant gave many reasons to justify her crime. Chien explained that she was in difficult circumstances, raising children alone, had no stable job, and was in debt, so she “wanted to give her children a better, more complete future” even though she knew her actions were against the law.
When the judge reminded him that he could not give a difficult reason for committing the crime, Chien bowed his head and remained silent. The defendant explained that he knew his ex-husband was also arrested for drugs and received the highest sentence. However, his laziness and greed caused him to continue following in his husband's footsteps.
In her final statement, Chien asked the court to consider giving her a light sentence so that she could return home soon to take care of her children and raise them to be good people. The defendant was afraid that while her mother was in prison, her children would drop out of school and fall into social evils. That was also the biggest worry of the female defendant, who had failed to fulfill her duties as a mother to her children who were still in school.
After considering the nature and level of danger to society of the crime, the aggravating and mitigating circumstances of criminal responsibility, the People's Court sentenced Nguyen Thi Chien to 20 years in prison for the crime of illegal drug trafficking.
Drugs caused the defendant’s ex-husband to lose his life. Now, because of that same banned substance, Chien must pay the price with a 20-year prison sentence. Will Chien realize his mistakes, correct them, and be released from prison soon to make up for his children who have suffered so much?
