Meeting his young child in court, the young drug-addicted father was absent-minded.

Drug addict hides drugs in chicken coop

Nghe An Provincial People's Court has just opened a criminal appeal trial of defendant Pham Trong Phuong (born 1991), residing in Do Luong town, Do Luong district, for the crime of "Illegal possession of narcotics".

Before that, at around 11am on April 10, 2019, Phuong took the bus to Vinh bus station to buy drugs to use. 30 minutes later, Phuong arrived at the bus station gate and met a man working as a motorbike taxi driver, so he asked, "Does anyone here sell candy?". This man understood that Phuong wanted to buy drugs, so he said, "If you want to buy some, give me the money and I will buy it for you." Phuong gave this man 3 million VND.

Defendant Pham Trong Phuong at the trial. Photo: Tran Vu

About 20 minutes later, the motorbike taxi driver brought Phuong a plastic bag containing many candy-like synthetic drugs, and added a white substance, saying it was "ke". Phuong took all the drugs, took the bus home, and hid them in the family's chicken coop. Around 8 p.m. that night, Phuong took plastic bottles and straws, and made them into tools to use drugs. When she satisfied her addiction, Phuong put the drugs back in the same place.

At around 11am on April 15, Phuong rented a car to go to his friend's house in Dien Chau town (Dien Chau district). On the way back, due to speeding, Phuong was asked to stop by the 1/7 traffic police patrol team. During the stop, because they suspected Phuong of using drugs, the traffic police patrol team handed Phuong over to the Do Luong district police. Phuong's urine test showed positive results for drugs. Pham Trong Phuong also admitted to using drugs and confessed to hiding drugs at home.

Searching Phuong’s residence, the police seized 19.214 grams of ecstasy and 4.179 grams of Ketamine, which Phuong said he bought for later use. For the crime of “Illegal possession of narcotics”, Pham Trong Phuong was sentenced to 6 years in prison by the People’s Court of Do Luong district. Phuong later filed an appeal, asking for a lighter sentence.

Husband in jail, wife left

At the appeal hearing, giving the reason for his appeal for a reduced sentence, Phuong stated that his circumstances were difficult, his wife left him and there was no one to take care of the children.

It is known that Phuong and his 24-year-old wife had three children together. While the oldest child was 4 years old, the youngest was only 7 months old. According to Phuong's statement at the trial, shortly after the defendant was arrested, his wife quietly left her 2-month-old child and two young children for their grandmother to raise. "Knowing that his wife had left made the defendant very sad. The defendant feels guilty towards his wife and children, and asks the court to consider reducing the sentence so that he can return soon to take care of the children," Pham Trong Phuong said at the trial.

The little child was carried to the court by his grandmother, leaning forward to look inside, hoping to see his father. Photo: Tran Vu

Attending the appeal hearing that day, the defendant’s mother brought her young grandchild. She said she did not know where her daughter-in-law had gone. Since her daughter-in-law was no longer living in the house, she had been both grandmother and mother, taking care of three young grandchildren, especially the youngest, who was only a few months old. When the grandmother carried the child to the court to meet his father, the child got bored and fell asleep on his grandmother’s shoulder.

She said she was taking the child to visit her father, but her father could only watch her from afar. She also only carried her child to the hallway of the courtroom. Every time the child cried, she would take him away to comfort him.

During the trial, the panel of judges determined that the defendant Phuong had failed to provide any new details to consider for a sentence reduction, so there was no basis for a sentence reduction. The court decided to reject the defendant’s appeal and upheld the 6-year prison sentence for Pham Trong Phuong.

Being escorted to the car to return to prison, the young father's face was blank, his eyes filled with remorse and tears as he watched the grandmother and grandchild leave in the late afternoon...