The haunting memory of a woman who 'entrusted her life' to a man who was in and out of prison

"The boat is sailed"

Do Thi N. attended her husband's appeal hearing. Her husband, Nguyen Tat Dung (born 1987, residing in Do Luong district), was partially protested by the Vinh City People's Procuracy against the first instance verdict for the crime of "Illegal possession of drugs".

N. is from Hung Yen province, met and got married to Nguyen Tat Dung 6 years ago. “When we fell in love and decided to get married, I didn’t know he had been to prison so many times. When I found out, it was already done and nothing could be changed. Besides, I saw that he was good to his wife and children, so I thought that the past was the past, the important thing was that my husband had changed,” N. confided.

In 2007, at the age of 20, Nguyen Tat Dung was sentenced by the People's Court of Do Luong district to 9 months in prison for "Theft of property". A year later, Dung continued to receive 18 months in prison for the same crime. Not long after his release from prison, he started "two-fingered" again and received a 12-month prison sentence in 2010. At the end of 2012, Nguyen Tat Dung was sentenced by the People's Court of Tuong Duong district to 32 months in prison for "Illegal possession of narcotics".

Defendant at trial. Photo: Nhu Binh

After getting married, N. moved to Nghe An to live with her husband. Her family had a tradition of trading, so N. decided to make a living in her new hometown. Because of her good trading, she was able to make a living, and the life of the couple and their young child was quite stable.

On the evening of May 15, 2021, N. and his wife went to Vinh City to attend a friend's birthday. Late that night, while waiting for a taxi to go to the hotel to rest, the police arrived. "I didn't understand what was going on when I saw him being arrested by the police. They took a small bag from his cigarette pack and said it was crystal meth. I was so shocked that I stood there like a statue. I didn't know he was using crystal meth," N. was still haunted by the feeling of discovering her husband's true nature.

In the trial held on October 12, 2021, Nguyen Tat Dung was sentenced by the Vinh City People's Court to 9 months in prison for "Illegal possession of narcotics". This sentence was announced after the first instance court considered and applied mitigating circumstances, including the certificate of merit in helping Dak Nong Provincial Police report and detect crimes submitted by Dung's family during the investigation.

However, after the trial took place, the Vinh City People's Procuracy received a dispatch from the Dak Nong Provincial Police Investigation Agency confirming that this unit did not confirm Nguyen Tat Dung in helping the investigation agency detect the crime. The Vinh City People's Procuracy decided to partially appeal the first instance judgment, requesting not to apply the mitigating circumstance "The offender actively cooperated with the responsible agency in detecting the crime or in the process of solving the case" to Nguyen Tat Dung and to increase the penalty above the starting level to ensure the strictness of the law.

Worried that her husband will "relapse into old habits"

At the appeal hearing, defendant Nguyen Tat Dung also admitted that he did not help Dak Nong Provincial Police denounce and arrest criminals; the defendant also did not know why there was the above confirmation document.

While waiting for the jury to deliberate, N. moved up to the row of chairs near the defendants' area to talk to her husband. After asking about the health of each family member, especially the child, Dung told her, "Don't hit your child. If he is naughty, speak gently. Don't let him watch too much TV or phone." Hearing his wife's encouragement, Dung said, "Don't be sad. Take good care of your child for your father. You don't have to worry about your father. In the past, when your father didn't have a family, it was different. Now that he has a wife and children, he has the motivation to strive. He will reform well to return to you and your child soon." Hearing her husband speak, N.'s face relaxed and she nodded as if encouraging her husband to try to reform.

After analyzing new documents and evidence at the appeal hearing, the panel of judges determined that there was sufficient basis to accept the appeal of the Vinh City People's Procuracy, not allowing the defendant to enjoy mitigating circumstances, partially amending the first instance judgment, sentencing Nguyen Tat Dung to 12 months in prison.

“Counting the time he was detained, it has been almost 9 months since he left. I am afraid that when he gets out of prison, his friends will persuade him and he will not be able to control himself and repeat the same mistakes. I am still haunted by the scene of him being arrested by the police,” N. worried.