Murdered friend after three heavy drinking sessions.
After three drinking sessions from noon until late at night, a conflict arose between Thai Van Thinh and his neighbor. In a fit of anger and loss of composure due to drunkenness, Thinh took a knife and murdered his drinking buddy.
Murder after three drinking sessions
The trial of defendant Thai Van Thinh (51 years old), residing in Tan Long commune, Tan Ky district, on the charge of "murder" has attracted significant public attention. From early morning, a large number of people were present at the Nghe An Provincial People's Court. This is because the murder, which occurred less than half a year ago, caused a public uproar. A disagreement during a drinking session led to a murder, resulting in one death and one person now facing trial.
Before the tragic murder occurred, the defendant Thinh and the victim Duong Van L. (born in 1983) were friends. Living in the same village and being friends, the two occasionally gathered with their group of friends for a few drinks. However, when alcohol took effect, they lost their composure, leading to inappropriate behavior. The drinking session on a night in early August 2024 was the cause of the tragic murder.
Specifically, at noon on August 2, 2024, Thai Van Thinh and Mr. L. were drinking alcohol at a bar with a group of friends. When the drinking session ended, the group decided to go play billiards. At 5:30 PM, they went to one of the group members' houses to continue drinking. At 10 PM that same day, almost everyone in the group was already tipsy, but L. continued to invite everyone to the neighborhood's community center to drink beer.
After about an hour of drinking together, a conflict arose between Thinh and Mr. L. Mr. L. said to Thinh, "What age are you to talk to me like that?" Then the two stood up and challenged each other to a physical altercation. During the argument, Mr. L. punched Thinh. Seeing this, a friend tried to intervene but was threatened with violence by Mr. L. Afterwards, Mr. L. kissed Thinh on the cheek and said, "Go home and rest." At this point, Thinh walked home, while Mr. L. returned to the drinking party.
Thịnh went home, saw a sharp knife (the kind used for peeling fruit), picked it up, and returned to the village community center. When people saw Thịnh return with the knife, everyone stood up and ran away, except for Mr. L., who remained seated. When someone urged him to run, Mr. L. said, "I'll sit still and see what he dares to do." At this point, Thịnh stabbed Mr. L. once in the thigh with the knife.
Seeing this, a friend pulled L. away to escape. But after running about 20 meters, L. pushed his friend's hand away and turned back to pick up an empty beer can and throw it at Thinh, but missed. Thinh chased after L. with a knife but couldn't catch him, so he went home.
At that moment, Mr. L. turned around and hit Thinh with his belt. Thai Van Thinh then turned and stabbed Mr. L. in the chest, causing the victim to die on the spot. After committing the crime, Thinh went home and told his relatives what had happened. Later, the killer went to the police to surrender.
Heartbreaking consequences
For the aforementioned actions, Thai Van Thinh was prosecuted for "murder." Before the witness stand, the defendant testified that he and the victim had always been friends and had no conflicts. That day, while drinking alcohol, the victim made derogatory remarks. "The victim was younger than me but spoke harshly and disrespectfully to me in front of everyone. That made me upset," the defendant stated.
When questioned by the court about "why, despite being advised to go home by others, the defendant returned with a knife," the defendant explained that upon returning home, he saw a fruit-peeling knife on the table, and due to his anger, he picked it up and went back to where everyone was sitting and drinking.
The male defendant stated that the victim's assault partly angered him, leading to his loss of control. In the presence of the victim's legal representative, the defendant offered his apologies. "I accidentally killed someone. I hope the victim's family will forgive this mistake. I sincerely apologize to the victim's family," Thái Văn Thịnh said remorsefully.
The victim's wife attended the trial, requesting that the court judge the case fairly and justly according to the law. She argued that the defendant's actions had caused immense loss to their family, leaving her a widow and her children fatherless.
According to the victim's wife, Mr. Dinh Van L. was the main breadwinner in the family, earning over ten million dong per month. His death is a huge emotional loss for the family. She is demanding that the defendant compensate her with over 500 million dong to cover funeral expenses and raise the children.
The defendant's brother, who attended the trial, shared his condolences with the victim's family. He explained that on the night his brother committed the murder, he encouraged him to surrender to the police and confess to the crime. As a responsible older brother, he voluntarily compensated the victim's family with 30 million VND on his brother's behalf.
According to the defendant's relatives, Thai Van Thinh only studied until the first grade before dropping out. Due to difficult family circumstances, with many siblings and his parents dying early, Thinh had to make a living through various jobs. Although he was older, he had never married. For the past few years, he had lived with his older brother's family and possessed virtually no assets. Since his younger brother committed the heinous crime, the older brother had been scrambling to compensate the victim's family on his behalf, even if only for a small amount. At the trial, he also apologized to the victim's family and asked the court to consider reducing his brother's sentence.
In the presence of those attending the court, the panel of judges reminded everyone about the dangers of murders committed after consuming alcohol. Many heartbreaking cases have stemmed from drinking sessions. The reasons for these violent acts are often trivial, stemming from insignificant matters. People are injured, lose their lives, and end up in prison. These bitter lessons are never enough for those who use alcohol to fuel their aggression, and the case involving the defendant Thinh is one such example.
Returning to the case, after deliberation, the panel of judges determined that the defendant's actions were exceptionally dangerous and constituted the crime of "murder," but also considered the victim's fault. Considering all aspects of the case, the panel of judges sentenced the defendant, Thai Van Thinh, to 17 years in prison for "murder." Regarding civil matters, the defendant must compensate the victim's legal representative 479 million VND according to the agreement between the two parties.
As can be seen, the price paid by defendant Thai Van Thinh serves as a cautionary lesson for many. Before any celebration involving beer or alcohol, each person must control their own behavior and not let the "demon of alcohol" lead them astray, lest they regret it and leave a burden on their family and loved ones...
