On 17/7, Nguyen Ngoc Lam, 30, was sentenced by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court to 19 years in prison for attempted murder. He was also ordered to pay over 300 million dong in additional compensation to his girlfriend, Thanh, whom he severely injured in a jealous rage.

According to the trial panel, Lam intentionally attempted to take Thanh's life solely due to groundless jealousy. The criminal act stemmed from a vile motive, aiming to kill the victim. Although Lam made a sincere confession and partially compensated for the damages, the court could not impose a sentence lower than what the People's Procuracy recommended.

The indictment stated that Lam and Thanh were in a relationship but frequently argued because Lam was jealous and suspected his girlfriend of being involved with someone else.

The violent incident occurred on 22/11/2024. The couple argued at Lam's apartment, after which Thanh left. Two days later, she returned to retrieve personal belongings. When Thanh went to her room to pack, Lam tried to reconcile, but she refused, leading to another argument.

Defendant Nguyen Ngoc Lam in court. Photo: Binh Nguyen

During the argument, Lam took a pair of scissors, intending to commit suicide, but Thanh intervened. Afterward, he demanded to see his girlfriend's phone and discovered she was messaging another man and speaking ill of him. In a fit of rage, Lam drank dishwashing liquid in an attempt to commit suicide, but failed.

Believing Thanh no longer cared for him, Lam used scissors to stab her neck, beat her, and then live-streamed himself verbally abusing her on Facebook, accusing her of having a relationship with another person.

Thanh fled the apartment and stood on an adjacent rooftop. Lam climbed over, pursued her, tackled her, and strangled her. Seeing the victim still moving, he threw her from the approximately 7,5-meter high roof to the ground.

After the assault, Lam climbed across several rooftops to escape but was apprehended by residents and handed over to the police.

Thanh was rushed to the emergency room, fortunately survived, and was discharged after nearly one month of treatment, but sustained 64% injuries.

In court today, Lam expressed remorse, admitting to all his criminal actions. He pleaded for leniency, hoping for a lighter sentence to return to his family sooner.

Binh Nguyen