Cambodian national sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder

Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on March 7 sentenced a Cambodian national a 25-year imprisonment on charge of murder and illegally storage and use of military weapon.

Lay Bun Thy, 53, who is a former Lieutenant Colonel and deputy head of the police post at Cambodia’s Phnom Den International Border Gate, got 20 years in prison for murder and another five-year imprisonment for illegally storing and using military weapon.

According to the indictment, at about 6 p.m. of July 16, 2016, Lay Bun Thy and six Vietnamese nationals came to a restaurant named Huong Xua in Tinh Bien town of Tinh Bien district, An Giang province, to have beer.

At this time, Pham Van Quang and Le Van Duoc, along with five other people, also came and sit opposite.

At about 8 p.m., Quang and Duoc invited Thy to drink beer together but Thy refused, leading to an argument.

After Quang and Duoc returned to their table, Thy heard a conversation between Quang and Duoc, from which he assumed Quang was the mastermind behind an earlier attack on him.

Thy returned to his home, about 40 metres from the Huong Xua restaurant, to take a K59 pistol and then went back.

At the restaurant, Thy asked Quang several times whether he had assaulted him earlier and when getting a “yes” he fired two shots at Quang, injuring the latter’s mouth.

At the time, Duoc, who was sitting beside Quang, stood up and Thy shot at Duoc’s forehead and back as he thought Duoc intended to attack him. 

Duoc died on the way to hospital while Quang was seriously injured and hospitalised after that.

At about 5:30 a.m. of July 17, 2016 Thy turned himself in to Tinh Bien district police.

According to the verdict, Thy will have to give 242 million VND (over 10,600 USD) in compensation to the family of Duoc and pay alimony to Duoc’s children until they reach 18.-VNA