19 years in prison for man who murdered his wife in the middle of the night.
(Baonghean.vn) - Wanting to reconcile their marital problems, Nghia went into his wife's room to talk, but she adamantly refused and said hurtful things. Late at night, Nghia stabbed his wife 13 times, causing her death and leaving behind immense grief for their children and grandchildren.
He took his wife's life in the middle of the night.
The recent trial of defendant Vo Van Nghia (born in 1965), residing in Hung Loc commune, Vinh City, on the charge of "murder" has attracted significant public attention. The courtroom that afternoon was packed with people attending the trial. They included relatives, neighbors of the defendant, and even the victim. The victim in the case was none other than the defendant's wife, Nguyen Thi L. (born in 1969).
Vo Van Nghia and his wife once had a happy life together, both dedicated to raising their two children. As their children grew up, started their own families, and Nghia and his wife became grandparents in their later years, conflicts arose between them. Naturally, even chopsticks sometimes clash, so marital disagreements were inevitable. However, these disagreements became the root cause of a tragic crime that occurred late at night on a New Year's Day.
According to the indictment, around the beginning of December 2022 (lunar calendar), due to a conflict, Nghia and his wife stopped sleeping together and slept in separate rooms. Late on the night of March 13, 2023, after returning from exercising, Nghia saw his wife lying alone in the room, so he went in to talk to her, saying, "Let's just forget about it and live together for the sake of our children and grandchildren."
In response to her husband's request, Mrs. L. firmly replied, "There's nothing left between us, you go sleep in your own room." Nghia then questioned his wife, "If you don't sleep with your husband, who will you sleep with?" Mrs. L.'s suggestion of sleeping with an animal angered Nghia, so he threatened, "Then I'll show you," before returning to his room.
Although he had gone back to his room to lie down, Nghia remembered his wife's words and became angry. About 10 minutes later, Nghia got up, went down to the kitchen to get a knife, then went into his wife's room, turned on the light, and stabbed Mrs. L. 13 times. Although Mrs. L. woke up and cried for help and was taken to the hospital by her children, the victim died. The cause of death was determined to be acute respiratory and circulatory failure due to multiple wounds that punctured the lungs and severed ribs.
As for the perpetrator, that same night, Vo Van Nghia went to the police station carrying the weapon and surrendered. For this act, Nghia was prosecuted and brought to trial for murder.
Standing before the witness stand, the defendant, who had taken the life of his former wife, recounted his crime in detail. He confessed to the events as described in the indictment. Nghia stated that he had tried to reconcile with his wife out of concern for their children and grandchildren, but she refused. Furthermore, his wife's hurtful words angered him, leading to the tragic incident.
The tragedy of a family
Even though more than four months have passed, Nghia is still haunted by the bloodstains on his wife's hands. The defendant expressed remorse and apologized to his wife's family and children at the trial. He justified his actions by saying he wanted to reconcile with his wife to ease family tensions and bring joy to his children, but her rejection caused him to lose his temper. At this point, the presiding judge reminded him that he couldn't use that as a reason to kill, especially his own wife. If the marital relationship was strained, the defendant had many options, including divorce. However, he had committed a very serious violation of the law. Hearing these words, Nghia bowed his head.
Present in court, the defendant's two children did not request civil compensation and asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances for their father. The children are the ones who have suffered the greatest pain, having lost their mother and witnessing their father's imprisonment at an advanced age.
Meanwhile, the victim's sister testified in court that her sister's decisive stance towards her husband had a reason. "About a week before the incident, Ms. L. confided in me about her husband's hot temper, domineering nature, gambling habits, and failure to bring home money. She said, 'From now on, there's no more love between us.' I encouraged her to let go of what could be forgiven, but I never expected things to turn out this way," the victim's sister explained.
At the trial, in the presence of a large crowd, the judges reminded everyone about how to behave towards each other in married life. Violence cannot be used to resolve conflicts; instead, spouses must listen to and respect each other to set a good example for their children and grandchildren. The defendant's actions violated the law and will receive a commensurate sentence, but this also serves as a lesson and a warning to many others.
Exercising the right to prosecute at the trial, the representative of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province presented the indictment, stating that this is a case of exceptionally serious nature, and the defendant's criminal act is extremely dangerous to society. The defendant, as a husband and father, should have been a role model for his children, but due to a minor conflict, he took his wife's life. The defendant's criminal act demonstrates thuggishness, recklessness, disregard for human life, and defiance of the law. Therefore, the representative of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province proposed a sentence of 19 to 20 years imprisonment for the defendant Nghia.
In his final statement before the court adjourned to deliberate, the defendant pleaded for leniency, citing his advanced age and frail health. "I beg the court to be merciful so that I may have the opportunity to return and rebuild my life, to live with my children and grandchildren in my old age," the defendant stated.
The panel of judges determined that the defendant's criminal act was exceptionally serious, directly violating the right to life protected by law, and therefore required strict punishment. However, several mitigating circumstances were considered, such as honest confession, remorse, a family with revolutionary contributions, and a request for leniency from the victim's family. After considering all aspects of the case, the court sentenced defendant Vo Van Nghia to 19 years in prison.
The trial has concluded, but the judges' reminders will remain valuable for many – always live and work in accordance with the constitution and the law, and don't let a moment of anger or thoughtlessness lead to regret.