On 25/8, 49-year-old Do Van Tan was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Hanoi People's Court for intentional injury. His daughter, 25-year-old Do Thi Kim Phuong, received a sentence of six years and six months, while Khuat Van Tuy (34 years old, Phuong's husband) was sentenced to three years.
In the same case, six members of the group of thugs, aged 16 to 38, received sentences ranging from three years and six months to eight years and six months for the same crime.
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The defendants in court. Photo: Danh Lam |
The defendants in court. Photo: Danh Lam
The indictment stated that Tan's son, Tien, was married but having an affair with Huyen, who was also married with children. Despite the family's repeated attempts to intervene, Tien continued to meet with Huyen. This led Tan and his daughter to plot to hire someone to "teach her a lesson" and force Huyen to end the relationship.
In early February, Tan asked Pham Xuan Ton (38 years old, Hai Duong City) to find someone to assault Huyen. Ton introduced his cousin, Pham Duc Anh (36 years old), to Tan, who provided Anh with Huyen's photo and address. Phuong also contacted Anh directly for further discussion.
On the afternoon of 12/2, upon seeing his son with Huyen, Tan called Anh. Due to a prior engagement, Anh hired Le Van Nhat to carry out the attack.
That evening, Phuong called Anh, demanding that they "break Huyen's legs and throw acid on her," promising to provide the acid. Anh agreed and relayed the instructions to Nhat. They agreed on a price of 200 million VND (approximately $10,000 USD), which Tan and Phuong accepted.
Phuong then told her husband, Khuat Van Tuy, about the plan and asked him to prepare the acid. Tuy obtained about 500 ml of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) from a mechanical workshop.
On the evening of 12/2, Nhat, armed with a baseball bat and pepper spray, recruited Le Duc Dung (16 years old) and Tran Ba Quan (17 years old) to attack Huyen. Nhat hired Bui Dinh Ngach (40 years old) to drive them, fully aware of their intentions.
The group met with Phuong and her husband to receive the acid. They then parked 200 meters from Huyen's boarding house, distributing the bat, acid, and pepper spray among themselves before lying in wait.
Around 10 PM that night, as Huyen returned home, the group ambushed her, attacking her with pepper spray, the bat, and acid before fleeing. Nhat called Phuong and Anh to confirm the attack and instructed everyone to delete their messages.
The following evening, the group received the $10,000 from Tan. Anh kept $750, Ngach received $100, Dung and Quan each received $50, and Nhat kept the rest.
A week later, all those involved were arrested.
The victim suffered five broken bones in her limbs and burns covering 10% of her body, resulting in a 45% permanent disability. During the investigation, Tan's wife paid the victim $25,000 in compensation.
Authorities confirmed the romantic relationship between Tien and Huyen, though they did not live together. Tien subsequently passed away and was therefore not subject to legal proceedings.
Hai Thu
