The heartache of a cancer-stricken wife whose husband committed murder
(Baonghean.vn) - "I am suffering from cancer, raising 3 children alone, in difficult circumstances, but as long as I am alive, I will be responsible for the victim's family..." those are the heartfelt words of the wife of defendant Pham Van Manh, residing in Quy Hop district, sent to the family of the victim who was murdered by her husband.
Murder from inviting to gamble at wedding
That morning, despite the pouring rain, the 41-year-old woman from Quy Hop district still brought her three young children to the People's Court of Nghe An province to attend her husband's trial. For several years now, Ms. H. has been battling a serious illness and is now facing another pain when her husband committed the murder of a neighbor.
The murder at the wedding that happened half a year ago still makes the public talk. That day was April 7, Pham Van Manh (40 years old), residing in Van Loi commune, Quy Hop district (H.'s husband) and the victim, Mr. Bach Van C. (56 years old), went to a neighbor's house to celebrate a wedding. That evening, when everyone had finished eating and drinking, Mr. C. told Manh to get a mat so "we could play cards for a bit", then the two sides had a conflict and exchanged words.
During the argument, Manh went behind the homeowner's well to get a sharp knife hidden in his shirt and went to find Mr. C. Despite his wife and everyone's efforts to stop him, Manh still pulled out the knife and stabbed Mr. C repeatedly. When the victim got up and ran away, Manh immediately took the knife and chased after him, stabbing Mr. C in the back, causing the victim to die on the way to the emergency room.
Responding to questions from the jury, Manh stated that he did not agree to get a mat for the victim to play cards because he wanted to keep the atmosphere cheerful for the homeowner. However, when he heard the victim call him a “brat” and challenge him, the defendant became angry. At that time, the defendant had been drinking and could not control his actions, so he committed the crime.
The defendant confided that he had gone through the worst days of his life. At the time of the crime, he was drunk and no longer sober, leading to the heartbreaking case. Half a year has passed, but the bitter ending still makes the defendant extremely tormented and miserable. Because of his anger and lack of self-control, he turned himself into a murderer, causing loss to the victim's family. At the same time, the defendant turned the happy day of the neighbor's family into a sad day. The defendant always feels guilty towards the people involved, towards his wife and children.
The pain of a pregnant wifeterminal illness
The husband committed the murder and had to suffer the punishment of the law, but perhaps the one who suffered no less torment was Ms. H. - the defendant's wife. After the murder occurred, her husband was arrested, Ms. H. had to run around with the victim's family to take care of the victim's funeral. Despite her difficult circumstances, she borrowed more than 40 million VND to cover the funeral expenses for the unfortunate person. She also said that on the anniversary of her husband's death, she went to burn incense and apologize to the victim's family on behalf of her husband.
At the trial, the defendant’s wife also apologized to the victim’s family many times. As a woman, she understands more than anyone the pain that the victim’s wife has to endure. With a choked voice, she explained: “I have cancer, raising 3 children alone, in difficult circumstances. But as long as I am alive, I will be responsible for that family. Today, I bring 140 million VND, asking for compensation for the victim’s family.”
The judge analyzed that the person responsible for compensation for mental damage, funeral expenses, and alimony for the victim's mother is the defendant Manh. However, the fact that Ms. H. compensated on behalf of her husband is noteworthy, this is a detail for the trial panel to consider when sentencing the defendant. To create conditions for both families, the judge decided to temporarily suspend the trial so that the two parties could reach an agreement on compensation for civil liability.
Accordingly, the defendant must pay 180 million VND in compensation and provide 1.5 million VND/month for Mr. C.'s mother (86 years old) for the rest of her life. After a while of running around and borrowing from relatives, Ms. H. was able to raise enough 180 million VND to send to the victim's family right at the trial.
When the court resumed, the victim's representative said that he had received the full compensation, but in terms of criminality, he requested the court to try the defendant according to the law. In the presence of a large number of people attending the court, the judge said that this was an unfortunate case. He reminded that in daily life, everyone should know how to control themselves, live peacefully, avoid conflicts or use violence to resolve conflicts.
As for the defendant Pham Van Manh in this case, the panel of judges acknowledged the defendant’s family’s willingness to compensate for the victim’s mental damage. The defendant’s honest confession and remorse are also mitigating circumstances. Therefore, the court sentenced defendant Manh to 20 years in prison for murder.
Her husband received a sentence higher than the prosecutor's representative had proposed, and the wife cried loudly. Despite the heavy rain, she ran barefoot after her husband who was being escorted home. The tears of the miserable woman mingled with the heavy rain in the large court yard...
