On 23/7, 36-year-old Le Van Tuyen, a motorcycle taxi driver from Ha Nam, was sentenced to life in prison by the Hanoi People's Court for murder. His accomplices, Nguyen Ha Hung, 35, and Truong Tuan Anh, 38, both from Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi, received 18 and 15 months imprisonment, respectively, for concealing the crime. They had been released on bail prior to the sentencing.

The court ordered Tuyen to compensate the victim's family for funeral expenses and emotional distress. He is also obligated to financially support the victim's 4 children until they turn 18 and the victim's 70-year-old mother until her death. The court acknowledged that Tuyen's family had already paid 100 million VND in compensation.

Le Van Tuyen at the court. Photo: Hai Thu

The indictment stated that on the morning of 14/6/2020, Tuyen drove his motorcycle to Pham Van Dong Street, heading from Thang Long Bridge towards My Dinh bus station to wait for customers. Around 10:30 a.m., he saw a bus drop off passengers and approached to solicit fares.

Dang Duc Cu, a 36-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, also approached the passengers, bumping into Tuyen. An argument ensued, leading to a physical altercation.

Tuyen retrieved a knife from his motorcycle and stabbed Cu in the back. He then fled the scene and went to Hung's house, recounting the incident and asking Hung to store his motorcycle.

Hung suggested that Tuyen go to a friend's house in Dong Anh and work as an air conditioner installer. Hung called a taxi driven by Tuan Anh, and they drove to Dong Anh. En route, they told Tuan Anh about the stabbing and stopped on Thang Long Bridge to dispose of Tuyen's bloodstained shirt and the knife in the Red River.

Later that afternoon, the three met Hung's friend and went to a restaurant. There, they made calls to inquire about the victim's condition, learning that Cu had been taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival.

Upon learning of the stabbing and Cu's death, Hung's friend refused to employ Tuyen and advised him to surrender to the police. The group continued drinking until 6 p.m. when they were apprehended.

In court, Tuyen confessed to the crime and apologized to the victim's family. He explained that he had been a taxi driver but switched to motorcycle taxi work two days prior to the incident due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He claimed Cu had instigated the fight, causing him to lose control.

When questioned by the presiding judge about why he didn't advise Tuyen to surrender, Hung said he was panicked and feared retaliation against Tuyen and disruption in his neighborhood, so he took Tuyen to Dong Anh.

Regarding why they continued drinking after being advised to turn themselves in, Hung and Tuan Anh testified that Tuyen wanted to pay respects to his deceased father before surrendering the next day. They were arrested while drinking.

The victim's wife, who has 4 children aged 7 to 15, testified about their financial hardship and requested 1.2 billion VND in compensation. However, Tuyen and his family stated they could not afford this amount, having already provided 100 million VND for funeral expenses. They requested the court to determine the compensation amount.

Authorities determined that Hung's friend was unaware of the stabbing when he initially offered Tuyen a job. Upon learning the truth, he advised Tuyen to surrender. Therefore, he was not charged with concealing a crime or failing to report a crime.

Hai Thu