Vietnamese man who killed friend with a punch jailed 10 months
A Vietnamese man who killed a friend after punching him in the head was sentenced to 10 months’ jail on Tuesday (6 December).
Nguyen Trong Phu, 28, who originally faced a murder charge, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntarily causing hurt to Phan Duc Thang, 32, at a workers’ dormitory in Marsiling on 21 May 2016.
Phan was arguing with another friend over remitting money to his parents when Nguyen got involved and swung his fist at the victim, said deputy public prosecutor Gail Wong in the State Courts.
After suffering a blow to his left temple, Phan died of severe bleeding while he was being conveyed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on the same day.
The incident occurred during a drinking session when Nguyen consumed nine cans of beer, DPP Wong revealed.
“The accused knew full well the effects of intoxication…The gravity of harm must be given significance” as a life was lost, said DPP Wong, who called for a jail sentence of at least 12 months to be imposed on Nguyen.
Another aggravating factor was that Nguyen attacked the victim with great force on a vulnerable body part, DPP Wong added. “The accused had a choice…He could have walked away.”
In mitigation, defence lawyer Chong Yi Mei called for a lower jail sentence of nine months, arguing that the crime was “committed out of personal anger and lack of judgement” in response to provocation from Phan.
The victim had thrown a stool at Nguyen shortly before the attack, causing the latter to suffer laceration on his head and requiring two stitches to close the wound, Chong said.
Nguyen could have been jailed for up to two years and fined a maximum $5,000.
