Punishment for murderers

(Baonghean.vn) - Although both were invited to a New Year's Eve dinner by his girlfriend, jealousy led to a conflict. He was beaten by Tran Van Thang (also known as Thang the Axe) and forced to kneel and apologize in front of many people. Humiliated in front of his girlfriend, Nguyen Dinh Sang plotted revenge…

On the morning of August 20th, the Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a first-instance criminal trial to hear the case against Nguyen Dinh Sang (born in 1989), Le Anh Minh, and Tran Van Thang (alias Thang "Cong"), all residing in Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City, for the crime of murder.

Using the alias Hung, Nguyen Dinh Sang befriended a massage girl and was invited to her house for a New Year's Eve dinner on January 20, 2012 (the 27th day of the Lunar New Year). Sang went with Le Anh Minh. Upon arriving at his girlfriend's house, he found Thang "the Axe" and Hung (Thang's friend) already there. During the meal, Thang expressed his displeasure at having another "admirer" around his girlfriend, whom he had known before. After drinking more alcohol and with the encouragement of his friends, Thang "the Axe" (residing in Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City) and his friends beat Sang and Minh (Sang's friend) severely. Still not satisfied, Thang "the Axe" forced Sang to kneel and apologize for "daring" to date his girlfriend.

Humiliated in front of his girlfriend and many others, Sang discussed with Minh how to retaliate against Thang "the Axe" to get revenge. Sang called Tran Van Thang (also known as Thang "the Worker") to borrow two knives and went to find Thang "the Axe" to take revenge. Around 4 PM that same day, Sang and Minh were sitting in front of the gate of the No. 1 Automobile Repair Factory (60B Ngo Gia Tu Street, Vinh City) when they saw Thang "the Axe" and Tran Duy Hung (Thang's friend) passing by. Sang and Minh rushed forward and stabbed and slashed Thang "the Axe" multiple times. Tran Duy Hung, who was sitting behind, jumped off the motorbike and escaped. Tran Van Thang (Thang "the Axe"), due to his severe injuries, died on the spot. After committing the crime, Sang and Minh fled.

Before the court, Sang, Minh, and Thang "Cong" sincerely confessed to all their crimes. Explaining their criminal actions, Sang claimed that he sought revenge because Thang "the axe" had humiliated him, forcing him to kneel and apologize in front of everyone and a newly acquainted girl.

In the seat reserved for the victim's family, Mrs. Tran Thi Hoan (mother of Thang "the Axe") was in tears, the pain of losing her son was so overwhelming that she buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Her husband died young, and she single-handedly raised two children. Thang "the Axe" was the youngest and therefore more pampered than his older brother. Losing her son was incredibly painful, but as a mother herself, she understood that the parents of Sang, Minh, and Thang "the Worker" were also deeply saddened to see their children imprisoned. She asked her son (Thang "the Axe's" brother) to write a petition requesting a reduced sentence for those who had taken her son's life.

When asked by the panel of judges about her family's wishes, Mrs. Hoan stood up, trembling, wiping away tears and sobbing: "My child is dead. No matter how the defendants are punished, they cannot be brought back to life. Moreover, the defendants' criminal acts were partly my child's fault; they were very young, with long futures ahead of them. I hope the court will consider mitigating their sentences so that the defendants can return to rebuild their lives."

When given the opportunity to speak their final words, Nguyen Dinh Sang and Le Anh Minh bowed their heads to the floor, mumbled apologies to the victim's mother, and expressed their hope for leniency so they could return to society sooner.

Recognizing that at the time of the crime, Sang and Minh were in an agitated state of mind because the victim had forced them to kneel and apologize, and considering the defendants' sincere confessions, remorse, and the fact that their families actively compensated the victim's family for part of the damages after the murder, and that their parents were meritorious contributors to society and had received numerous medals... Considering these mitigating circumstances, the court sentenced the defendants to sentences below the maximum penalty for murder. Accordingly, Nguyen Dinh Sang received 10 years in prison, and Le Anh Minh received 9 years in prison. As for Tran Van Thang, although he did not foresee the consequences, knowing that Sang and Minh borrowed knives to commit the crime, he not only did not stop them but also actively ran home to get them and then helped the defendants hide the weapons; therefore, he also bears joint responsibility in this case. The court sentenced Tran Van Thang to 3 years in prison.

The trial concluded, and the defendants paid the price before the law for their criminal acts. But what resonated most was the forgiving and compassionate heart of one of the defendants' mothers.

Ha Linh