On 7/7, Pham Thuy Nhi, 42, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for attempted murder by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court. The trial was conducted online, with the defendant held at Chi Hoa (T30) detention center.
The sentencing panel issued the verdict after acknowledging the defendant's remorse and the limited consequences of the incident, leading to a partial reduction in her sentence.
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Defendant Pham Thuy Nhi attending the trial via screen from the detention center. *Photo: Binh Nguyen*
The verdict stated that in 8/2024, Nhi met Tai, who was 10 years her junior, through the social network Bigo. They frequently exchanged messages and photos, leading to a romantic relationship. After some time, Nhi discovered Tai was seeing multiple women simultaneously, which led to their breakup.
In 6/2025, they reconciled and met at a hotel on Quang Trung street, Thong Tay Hoi ward, TP HCM. During this meeting, Nhi discovered Tai was still messaging other women.
On the afternoon of 14/8/2025, Nhi bought a utility knife, put it in her handbag, and went to Tai's rented room. Early the next morning, Nhi invited Tai to a hotel. In the hotel room, Nhi demanded to see messages on Tai's phone, but he refused. At 9:40 a.m. that same day, Nhi saw her boyfriend deleting some messages on Zalo. At this point, she took the knife hidden under a pillow, approached him from behind, and slit Tai's throat.
Attacked, Tai used his hand to push the knife away. He pressed a towel to the wound to stop the bleeding and asked Nhi to call an ambulance, but she did not. Tai then called his younger brother, who reported it to the police.
Police arrived at the hotel, took Tai for emergency treatment, and brought Nhi to the station for questioning. Forensic results showed the victim sustained a 6% injury and did not request compensation.
In court today, Nhi expressed remorse for her actions. The defendant stated she only completed grade one, had limited awareness, and could not control her actions when she felt emotionally betrayed. She requested the court's leniency for a lighter sentence to return home sooner.
Binh Nguyen
