Two sons on trial over broken brick: The pain of parents

The fight between the guest and the owner

Unlike their aggressive and ferocious appearance at the time of the fight, the defendants in the case of “Murder” and “Disturbing public order” that was just brought to trial by the People’s Court of Nghe An province, ranging in age from 24 to 60, stood cowering, showing remorse.

In this case, there are 7 defendants, 5 of whom are brothers from 2 families. Defendant Nguyen Huy Duoc (28 years old, residing in Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district) was prosecuted for the crime of "Murder", while his younger brother Nguyen Huy Cuong (24 years old) was tried for the crime of "Disturbing public order". 3 other brothers: To Huy Hai (60 years old), To Van Hien (48 years old), To Van Hoai (52 years old), all residing in Quynh Thuan commune, Quynh Luu district were prosecuted for the crime of causing disorder.

The chairman himself had to exclaim that the cause was not a big deal, but in the end, because of the improper behavior and hot temper of those involved, it caused unfortunate consequences when one person had to suffer lifelong disabilities and was in trouble with the law, while the rest also fell into prison.

Cuong expressed remorse for indirectly sending his brother to prison. Photo: Tran Vu

According to the indictment, the cause of the case was very trivial. On April 20, 2020, after discovering that the floor tiles his family had bought were broken, Cuong took them to the dealer to exchange them but was not accepted. The two argued and insulted each other. After being beaten by To Huy Hai - the store owner, Cuong found a weapon to fight back but was surrounded and beaten by Hai's brothers and neighbors.

Cuong called his brother for help. A few minutes later, Duoc ran over and witnessed his brother being beaten by a group of people with weapons while his father pleaded and tried to stop him. Duoc rushed to attack his opponents, but the difference in strength caused Duoc and his brothers to be chased by Hai's group, each running in a different direction. While running away, Duoc grabbed a hoe and hit To Huy Hai on the head. The fight only stopped when one person bled and passed out.

Throughout the trial, the defendants expressed remorse for their actions. Defendant Duoc stated that he could not control himself because he witnessed his younger brother being surrounded and beaten by 4-5 people with weapons, and that he rushed in to beat him to save his brother. He regretted that his anger almost took the life of another person. Meanwhile, defendant Cuong choked up as he explained that his lack of self-control and lack of forethought had caused his brother to go to jail.

Brothers Nguyen Huy Duoc and Nguyen Huy Cuong appeared in court after the fight. Photo: Tran Vu

To Huy Hai - the brick dealer who also "initiated" the fight - also felt remorseful, realizing "he was so wrong to have caused such an unnecessary incident".

As a person with 61% health damage, unable to work normally as before, To Van Hien is also a defendant in the case. This man has no hostility towards Mr. Duoc because he himself also recognizes his responsibility.

Mother's pain

In the crowd that came to court that day, the image of a small, thin woman with gray hair and a bandaged right arm due to a recent fracture caught the attention of many people. She was the mother of the two defendants Duoc and Cuong. Although the wound on her arm was still painful, she still took the bus with everyone to the court to see her children. Suffering from both physical and mental pain at the same time made her face even more haggard.

Throughout the time she sat listening to her two children testify in court, the mother's tears kept falling. Many times she sobbed when she heard her two children explain the reasons for their crimes. A relative of Duoc shared that before getting involved in the fight, the two brothers Duoc and Cuong worked as drivers. Due to the nature of their work, they had to travel and were hard-working, but both of them worked hard to help their parents. Therefore, the news that both children were in trouble with the law because of the fight shocked their parents.

The mother was in pain when she saw her two children in court. Photo: Tran Vu

For the crime of attempted murder, with many mitigating circumstances, the panel sentenced Nguyen Huy Duoc to 5 years in prison. The defendants prosecuted for the crime of disturbing public order were sentenced from 30 months of non-custodial reform to 24 months of suspended imprisonment.

Hearing the verdict, Duoc looked silently at his parents. The two old, simple farmers were stunned when their son was sentenced to 5 years in prison. The mother, holding her broken arm, sobbed.

After receiving a suspended sentence, Cuong helped his mother leave. But when he reached the court gate, he sat down, covered his face and cried when he saw the truck carrying his brother to the detention center pass by....