On 10/3, Nhan was sentenced by the People's Court of Tay Ninh Province to 13 years in prison for murder. He was also ordered to pay over 200 million dong in compensation to the victim's family.

Previously, the Procuracy had recommended a sentence of 16 to 18 years in prison. In his final statement, Nhan apologized to the victim's family, expressing a desire for a reduced sentence to care for his elderly parents.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan is escorted to a vehicle by police after the trial. Photo: Nam An

Nhan worked as a restaurant employee. According to the indictment, on the evening of 25/8/2024, Mr. Truong asked his sister to go to Nhan's mother's house in Hau Nghia commune to collect 700,000 dong that had been lent previously. When she arrived, Nhan stated, "Whoever lent it should come get it themselves," and told his mother to call Mr. Truong to discuss the matter.

When Mr. Truong arrived, Nhan's mother proactively returned the borrowed money. However, Nhan noticed this, grabbed a knife, and chased Mr. Truong. Mr. Truong fled on his vehicle, saying, "You wait there, give me 5 minutes," before returning home to retrieve a knife and come back for Nhan.

Despite family intervention, the two men subsequently chased each other with knives. During the altercation, Nhan slashed Mr. Truong twice. Both then discarded their weapons, wrestled, and fell onto the canal bank.

After the incident, Nhan surrendered to the police. The victim was rushed to the emergency room but died the following day.

The Trial Panel determined that the victim was partly at fault, but the case stemmed from Nhan's hooliganistic behavior, taking a life over a conflict not directly involving him.

Following the trial, representatives of the victim's family stated that the sentence was too light and announced their intention to appeal.

Nam An

* The victim's name has been changed.