On 14/4, Nguyen Cong Khanh, 42, received a combined sentence of 19 years in prison from the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Court. He was sentenced to 16 years for murder and three years for robbery. Additionally, Khanh was ordered to pay the victim over 300 million VND for medical treatment, health impairment, and emotional distress.
The court panel stated that Khanh's actions were exceptionally dangerous to society, noting he committed the crime to its fullest extent and that the victim's survival was unintentional.
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Nguyen Cong Khanh in court. Photo: Hoang Nam
Khanh had worked as a gas pump attendant in Thanh Loi commune, formerly Ben Luc district, Long An, for nearly 10 years. Burdened by debt and aware that the gas station had a safe managed by Ms. Nguyen Thi Ut, he conceived a plan to rob the money to settle his debts.
According to the indictment, on the morning of 18/1/2025, Khanh pretended to ask Ms. Ut for money to buy groceries. As she entered the bedroom to open the safe, he waited behind her, holding a metal bar. When the manager retrieved one million VND and was about to close the safe, Khanh unexpectedly struck her head multiple times. Ms. Ut resisted but was continuously assaulted, collapsing on the spot.
After the assault, Khanh rummaged through the safe, taking 25 million VND, and then discarded the metal bar into the river. He used the money to pay debts and spent nearly half of it. Upon returning to the gas station and finding Ms. Ut still unconscious, Khanh, fearing discovery, unplugged the camera's power source. He then went to the company headquarters and falsely reported to the director that he did not know Ms. Ut's whereabouts and that her phone was not answering.
Company employees, accompanied by Khanh, returned to the scene where they found Ms. Ut lying motionless, bleeding heavily from her head and face. They immediately rushed her to emergency care and reported the incident to the police. Forensic examination later determined the victim had sustained 76% injuries.
Following a scene investigation, police identified Khanh as the perpetrator and arrested him the same day.
Hoang Nam
