On 25/6, Xuan, 40, was sentenced by the Kien Giang People's Court to 12 years in prison for theft, under Article 173 of the Criminal Code, and ordered to pay over 600 million VND in compensation to the victim.

Additionally, the defendant's older sister was also ordered to return 100 million VND due to her involvement with the stolen money.

Nguyen Phu Xuan at the trial. Photo: Lan Vy

Nguyen Phu Xuan at the trial. Photo: Lan Vy

According to the case file, Xuan married a woman six years his senior in June 2022 and lived in her house in Rach Gia City. On the evening of 7/11/2022, the couple had an argument. His wife went upstairs to sleep, leaving her handbag containing nearly 15 taels of gold and 47 million VND on the wooden table in the kitchen. Xuan slept downstairs.

Early the next morning, Xuan woke up to use the restroom and saw his wife's handbag with the valuables inside, so he took it. He drove his wife's seven-seater car to Bau Bang district, Binh Duong province, to hide. After spending all the cash, Xuan sold the stolen gold for about 450 million VND, which he used to pay off debts, buy land (registered under a relative's name), and for personal expenses.

On 31/1/2023, Xuan drove the car to Phu Tan district, An Giang province, where investigators discovered him and seized the vehicle, returning it to the victim. At that time, as the police had not yet gathered sufficient evidence, Xuan was allowed to return to his residence while the investigation continued.

However, he fled and was eventually arrested in July 2023 in Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City, where he confessed to the crime.

Lan Vy