Murder committed during a gambling session, man sentenced to 15 years in prison.
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to minor disagreements during a gambling session, Phan Cong Hoai (from Yen Thanh, Nghe An) and Nguyen Van Cuong engaged in a violent brawl, resulting in one death and the other imprisonment.
On the morning of July 9th, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial to hear the case against defendant Phan Cong Hoai (born in 1982, from Bac Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district). Phan Cong Hoai is being prosecuted for the crime of "murder".
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| Defendant Phan Cong Hoai in court. Photo: Phuong Thao |
According to the indictment, Phan Cong Hoai and Nguyen Van Cuong were both workers of Construction Team 2, Song Da 605 Branch, Song Da 6 Company, located in Dong Van commune, Que Phong district, and lived together in the team's dormitory.
At approximately 6:30 PM on January 6, 2018, a wedding celebration for a newlywed couple was held in the kitchen of the apartment complex. After getting drunk, Hoai, Cuong, and several other workers sat on mats and gambled using the dice-shaking method.
During the gambling session, Hoai wanted to bet 20,000 dong but, lacking smaller denominations, placed a 200,000 dong bill, stating she would only bet 20,000 dong. Cuong won that round and took the entire 200,000 dong bill. This led to a fight between Hoai and Cuong. Hoai grabbed a knife from under the bed and stabbed Cuong, causing his immediate death.
Following the incident, Phan Cong Hoai surrendered to the Que Phong District Police. Hoai's family compensated the victim's legal representative, Nguyen Thi Thu Hang – the victim's wife – with 100 million VND. Ms. Hang did not request any further civil compensation and submitted a petition for leniency for Phan Cong Hoai.
In court, defendant Phan Cong Hoai confessed honestly and admitted to all his criminal acts. Considering the mitigating circumstances, the panel of judges sentenced Phan Cong Hoai to 15 years in prison for "murder".
