Man killed over dispute stemming from a phone call.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of March 18, 2013, the Provincial People's Court opened the first-instance trial of the murder case against Pham Duc Tinh (born in 1993, residing in Quang Tien ward, Thai Hoa town). Tinh's friend, Nguyen Duc Hieu (born in 1997), residing in the same locality, was prosecuted for disturbing public order.

According to the indictment of the Provincial People's Procuracy, due to a dispute over phone calls, Nguyen Dinh Hung (born in 1991, residing in Quang Tien ward, Thai Hoa town) called Pham Duc Tinh and Nguyen Duc Hieu to meet him at the gate of the Experiment Station (in Quang Tien ward). At approximately 10:30 PM on September 13, 2014, Tinh, Hieu, and Dinh Tien Dung (born in 1986) met Hung. A heated argument ensued between Tinh, Hieu, and Hung. Hung took a bamboo stick he had prepared beforehand and chased after Hieu, causing Hieu to run away. Hung chased after him, but Dung restrained him and took the stick away.

Defendant Pham Duc Tinh at the trial.

Seeing Dung take Hung's stick, Hieu ran over and punched and kicked Hung. Hung went to get a sharp knife from his bicycle basket and chased after Hieu, but Tinh hit him multiple times on the head and arms with a stick. After disarming Hung, Tinh's group left.

Hung went home to sleep. The next morning, his family found him having seizures and rushed him to the hospital, but he died later due to a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage. After Hung's death, Tinh and Hieu surrendered to the investigating authorities.

At the trial, the defendants confessed honestly and showed remorse. The court sentenced Pham Duc Tinh to 15 years for murder and ordered him to pay 108 million VND in compensation to the victim's family. For disturbing public order, Nguyen Duc Hieu was sentenced to 9 months in prison but given a suspended sentence with an 18-month probation period.

Hoang Lam