The Long An Province People’s Court yesterday gave a life sentence to Tran Thuy Lieu for burning her husband to death, but the victim’s mother said she would appeal the case as she believes that Lieu could have not acted alone in the killing, as concluded by the court.
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| Tran Thuy Lieu passes out after receiving a life sentence - Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Nga said she has asked her lawyer Nguyen Van Duc, who defended her rights and interests at court yesterday, to proceed with procedures for appealing the case to the Supreme People’s Court for reconsideration of the murder of Hung, who was a journalist at Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.
Nga said she has a premonition that . “I hope a higher court will help clarify the murder case so that the soul of my son can feel at ease in the nether world.”
Yesterday Nga told the court, “My daughter-in-law [Lieu] could not commit such a serious crime alone. I have advised her to tell the truth to investigators.”
Similarly, when the jury asked Le Hong Nhung, one of Lieu’s two daughters, to express her opinion, Nhung said, “I think someone has ‘stood behind’ by mother in the murder. I hope the court considers this issue.”
Also at court, lawyer Duc demanded that the court refer the case back to the investigation agency for into a number of issues he said remained unclear.
Duc said Hung’s testimony when he was staying for treatment in hospital after the burning had not been included in the indictment, as well as the
He also said Nguyen Van Tam, who had an affair with Lieu when Hung was alive, had exchanged 750 phone calls and text messages with her after the burning occurred, but the contents of their communications had not been clarified by the investigation agency.
He also pointed out some contradictory points in Lieu’s testimonies that he said should be reviewed.
However, the jury and the prosecutor’s office rejected his demand and maintained their conclusion that .
At a press conference after the trial, Judge Nguyen Hoa Binh said that by the time of the hearing, there were no signs that indicated that someone had assisted Lieu in the killing.
Binh said there was no evidence to conclude that Tam had been involved in the case or had known of Lieu’s crime but did not report it to police.
If the victim’s family appealed the case, a higher court would handle it under its jurisdiction, Binh said.
As reported earlier, in February 2011 and confessed that she alone had used petrol to burn her 51-year-old husband when he was sleeping in his bed in their house in Tan An Town, Long An Province.
