The People's Court of Area 1, Da Nang, recently postponed the trial of three defendants accused of murder. The decision came after defense lawyer Tran Ba Hoc, representing defendant Tran Hoang Thien, was absent without explanation during the procedural phase of the court session.

Recognizing this as a murder case carrying a severe penalty, the Trial Panel conferred and decided to delay the proceedings to ensure Tran Hoang Thien's legal rights. The trial is expected to resume in July.

Tran Hoang Thien, 20, Nguyen Thanh Tung, 27, and Tran Van Minh Toan, 27, all residing in Hoa Xuan ward, were indicted by the Da Nang People's Procuracy for murder under clause 2, article 123 of the Penal Code.

The three defendants at the court session on the afternoon of 7/7. *Nguyen Dong*

The tragic incident began around 11:45 on 17/1/2025, when Tran Thanh, a 31-year-old shipper, delivered an order worth 375,000 VND to Tran Thanh Thao, 26, at her former residence in Hoa Phuoc commune. As Thao was not home, her mother accepted the delivery. Thanh provided his bank account details for a transfer, but Thao, busy with her bubble tea business, did not make the payment immediately.

At 20:00 that day, after Thao transferred the money, Thanh, who was drinking with neighbors, sent inappropriate messages regarding the delayed payment. Thao responded by asking the shipper to speak politely and then filed a complaint on the purchasing website, citing "shipper speaking rudely to customer." She then informed Thanh about the complaint.

Angered by the complaint, which resulted in points being deducted from his delivery service account, Thanh, after consuming alcohol, went to Thao's house around 23:00. He yelled and banged on the gate, demanding to see her. Tran Diem Quynh, Thao's younger sister, called Thao and their brother, Tran Hoang Thien, to inform them of the situation.

Thao was at a year-end party nearby with her boyfriend, Tran Van Minh Toan, and friend, Nguyen Thanh Tung. Upon hearing the news, Toan drove Thao home on his motorbike, with Tung following on his own vehicle.

When they arrived, Thao and Thanh engaged in a heated argument. Seeing this, Toan stepped forward to shield Thao and punched Thanh in the face. Tung also joined the assault, punching Thanh and grabbing his collar, pulling the victim out to the front gate and the opposite sidewalk to continue the attack.

At that moment, Tran Hoang Thien arrived home and immediately began hitting Thanh repeatedly in the face, causing him to fall. Thien then removed his helmet and struck the victim's head and face 4-5 times. As Thanh struggled to stand, Toan punched him two more times in the face until others intervened.

Thanh subsequently rode his motorbike home. En route, he encountered a local security patrol, recounted the incident, and returned with them to Thao's house to resolve the matter. After explanations from the authorities, both parties agreed to address the issue the following day.

Around 23:45, Thanh arrived home, where his wife noticed multiple bruises on his face, scratches on his elbows and back, and his helmet was broken. Thanh informed his wife that he had been assaulted. At approximately 0:30 on 18/1/2025, his wife found him struggling to breathe and called for emergency medical assistance, but he died before doctors arrived.

The forensic autopsy concluded that the cause of death was a ruptured cerebral blood vessel, forming a blood clot in the entire left transverse sinus, caused by external force.

The victim's legal representatives sought over one billion VND in civil compensation, including 100 million VND for funeral expenses, nearly 700 million VND for their 6-year-old daughter's upbringing until she turns 18, and the remainder for emotional damages. To date, the families of the three defendants have jointly compensated 345 million VND.

The indictment noted mitigating circumstances for the defendants, including their sincere confessions, remorse, and partial compensation for damages. Additionally, the victim was deemed partly at fault for consuming alcohol and then going to another person's home, yelling and banging on the gate late at night.

Investigators determined that Thao was not an accomplice to the defendants and therefore would not face charges.

The case saw its progression on 20/1/2025, when the Hoa Vang District Police Investigation Agency initially charged the three suspects with intentionally causing injury under clause 4, article 134 of the Penal Code. In August 2025, the Da Nang City Police Investigation Agency amended the charges to murder, under clause 1, article 123.

*Nguyen Dong*