Nghe An Court sentences fatal stabbing case due to conflict over garden and forest boundary
(Baonghean.vn) - Because the victim had a habit of frequently going into the forest, only coming out every few days to get food, when the family discovered the incident, the victim had been dead for 3 days with several injuries on his body.
On the morning of June 8, 2022, Nghe An Provincial People's Court held a first-instance trial of defendant Tran Dinh Thang, born in 1987, residing in Tien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, on the charge of "Murder".
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Defendant Tran Dinh Thang at trial. |
At the trial, Tran Dinh Thang confessed: At around 2:00 p.m. on December 5, 2021, because he wanted to go into the forest to check the beehives and forest trees of his family, Thang prepared a knife (usually used for going into the forest) and then got on a motorbike and went into the Hong slope forest (Tien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district).
When he arrived, he saw that the border area between his forest land and the forest land of Mr. Le Van Th., born in 1964, residing in Ma Thanh commune, had some old acacia trees cut down and some new acacia trees planted. Seeing that the new acacia trees had encroached a little on his land, Tran Dinh Thang immediately went to find Mr. Le Van Th. to ask.
When he arrived, he saw Mr. Th. cutting grass. Thang asked why and the two sides argued. After that, Thang left but heard the sound of a lawn mower. He turned around and saw Mr. Th. driving the lawn mower towards him, so Thang avoided it. When Thang's men were level with Mr. Th., Thang stabbed the victim in the chest with the knife he was wearing.
After that, Tran Dinh Thang left the victim and went home. However, because his motorbike was broken, Tran Dinh Thang called his younger brother, Tran Dinh Ty, to pick him up. After returning home, Thang went to the Sat Dam culvert near his house and threw the knife used to stab Mr. Th. into the dam.
On December 8, 2021, because Mr. Th. did not return home and could not be contacted, the victim's family went into the forest to search and found Mr. Th. dead in the forest. That same evening, Tran Dinh Thang went to Yen Thanh District Police to surrender.
Nghe An Provincial People's Procuracy issued an indictment to prosecute Tran Dinh Thang for "Murder" with a sentence of 17-18 years in prison.
The defendant has no aggravating circumstances, and many mitigating circumstances such as surrendering, honestly confessing, repenting, and influencing the family to remedy the civil consequences.
In the first instance trial, the victim's family said that Tran Dinh Thang also gave false statements and that it was necessary to clarify the role of Tran Dinh Ty in this case.
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The jury sentenced Tran Dinh Thang to life in prison for murder. |
Based on the questioning, public debate at the trial, and the evidence collected, the Trial Panel sentenced Tran Dinh Thang to life in prison for murder. The defendant must compensate 209 million VND for mental damage as well as funeral expenses to the victim's family. In addition, the victim's father and mother are required to be subsidized 500 thousand VND/month each.
As for Mr. Tran Dinh Ty, he was the one who came to pick up Mr. Thang and took his motorbike home, but did not know that Mr. Thang used a knife to stab Mr. Le Van Th., so there is no basis for prosecution.
