Do Xuan Chien, 24, residing in Dan Phuong commune, was sentenced to 17 years in prison by the Hanoi People's Court on 16/3/2026. He was found guilty of murder and property destruction following an incident where he set fire to a house.

According to the indictment, the conflict originated in 2021. Chien purchased a used motorbike from Mr. Tan, 33, for 4,5 million VND. This transaction lacked formal paperwork. After using the vehicle for some time, Chien discovered it frequently broke down, leading him to sell it for one million VND.

Subsequently, Chien repeatedly attempted to contact and meet Mr. Tan to demand a refund, but his efforts were unsuccessful. At that time, Mr. Tan had relocated to his wife's hometown in Thanh Hoa.

On the evening of 27/7/2025, after failing to reach Mr. Tan directly by phone, Chien called Mr. Tan's mother, asking her to relay a message. Approximately five minutes later, Mr. Tan returned the call.

During their conversation, a heated dispute arose. Chien demanded money for the motorbike, but Mr. Tan asserted he owed nothing. Furious at the refusal, Chien conceived the idea of buying gasoline to burn down Mr. Tan's house.

Do Xuan Chien in court. Photo: Danh Lam

Around 3h the next morning, Chien carried out his plan. He poured 10 liters of gasoline through a door crack into Mr. Tan's yard and ignited it. At the time, Mr. Tan's wife, his mother, and his three-year-old daughter were inside the house.

Upon discovering the fire, Mr. Tan's family quickly opened their balcony door and climbed to a neighbor's house, escaping the flames. About 15 minutes later, the fire was extinguished. Investigators estimated the total property damage to be over 24 million VND.

That afternoon, Chien surrendered to the authorities.

Hai Thu