On 15/1, Minh was sentenced to 18 years in prison for murder by the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City (TAND TP HCM).
According to the Trial Panel (HDXX), the defendant's actions were thuggish. She murdered her lover solely due to baseless jealousy and deserved severe punishment. However, the court acknowledged her sincere confession and remorse, leading to a partial reduction of the sentence.
According to the indictment, Minh had a romantic relationship with Sang. During their time together, Minh frequently exhibited baseless jealousy, suspecting Sang of having relationships with other women. This led to numerous conflicts and arguments between them.
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Defendant Truong Thanh Minh at court today. Photo: Binh Nguyen. |
Defendant Truong Thanh Minh at court today. Photo: Binh Nguyen.
In the early morning of 2/10/2024, Minh called Sang to ask his whereabouts. He replied he was drinking with friends, sent his location to Minh, and said he would be home shortly. Seeing her boyfriend's location near a karaoke bar, Minh suspected Sang was in a private room with "hostesses". She then brought a knife from home to the karaoke bar.
Around 1:25 AM, Minh arrived at the bar's lobby and waited for Sang. A few minutes later, as Sang stepped out of the elevator, Minh rushed over and snatched his phone to check messages. As Minh was loud and causing a disturbance, a bar employee intervened. Minh then dragged Sang out to the bar's premises, continuing to argue and scold him.
During the altercation, Sang pushed Minh, causing her to lose balance. Minh then pulled out the knife and stabbed her boyfriend once in the chest. As the victim fled, she pursued him and stabbed him again.
Bar security personnel intervened. Minh put away the knife and drove away from the scene. Sang was taken to the emergency room but died after over half a month of treatment.
At court today, Minh expressed remorse, crying continuously during the trial. The defendant admitted that her blind jealousy led her to attack her boyfriend, and she pleaded with the court for a lenient sentence.
Binh Nguyen
