A Vietnamese appeals court has upheld an 18-year prison sentence for a Taiwanese man who threatened restaurant staff with a handgun after being refused service and later vandalised two motorcycles in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to court documents, Chen Qiu Zhang, 63, was a wanted fugitive in Taiwan.
At about 12.30 am on May 25, 2024, Chen rode a motorcycle to a restaurant on Nguyen Bieu Street in what was then District 5 and asked to be served.
A restaurant employee, Nguyen Thi Nhu T., told him that the establishment had stopped accepting customers for the night. In response, Chen allegedly drew a handgun, chambered a round and pointed the weapon directly at the employee.
He then put the gun back into his waistband, retrieved a hammer from his motorcycle and smashed two parked motorcycles, causing property damage.
Part of the evidence in the case (Photo: Police).
After the incident, Chen fled along Nguyen Trai Street but was intercepted by police on Tran Hung Dao Street and taken into custody.
Authorities seized three firearms, 37 rounds of military ammunition, including one round already chambered, 46g of illegal drugs and other evidence.
Earlier this year, the People's Court of Region 3 in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Chen to six years in prison for the illegal possession and use of military weapons, 10 years for the illegal possession of narcotics, 18 months for making death threats and six months for intentionally damaging property. The combined sentence totalled 18 years in prison.
Chen appealed the ruling, seeking a reduced sentence.
At the appellate hearing, the defendant maintained his appeal, while his lawyer asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances.
After reviewing the case, the appellate panel ruled that Chen had failed to present any new mitigating evidence. The judges found the original sentence appropriate and proportionate to the offences committed and rejected the appeal, leaving the 18-year prison term unchanged.
