(QBĐT) - The defendant and the victim were relatives, visiting each other regularly, sometimes for a drink, sometimes for a cup of tea. Despite their close relationship, no one could have imagined that after that drinking session, one would die and the other would survive. And now, the perpetrator is standing trial for murder.
The defendant was a poor, elderly farmer, with a gaunt appearance and more than half his hair gray. The crime had occurred nearly six months earlier, but on the day of the trial, it seemed as though this 65-year-old man hadn't yet recovered from the effects of that drunken night. And how could he possibly escape the haunting memory of that drinking spree, when it was precisely that that led him down this path?
Standing before the panel of judges, the old man testified that he couldn't remember what happened that day. He had drunk too much alcohol at the time of the incident. The drinking session lasted for many hours, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. He had almost completely lost consciousness, his nerves were no longer functioning properly, and he was no longer in control of himself. He also couldn't remember what prompted him to go into the house, get a knife, and then use that knife to stab the victim, who was also a relative. At that moment, he only knew that he was delivering those deadly blows to the victim; he couldn't remember how many times he stabbed or where he stabbed...
As he spoke, he "naively" held out his two hands, as if they weren't his own. He explained that during the struggle and while stabbing the victim, he himself had been injured. The wound still scarred. Sitting in the detention center, the wound occasionally throbbed, making him feel a chill run down his spine. He also recounted that drinking and getting drunk had long been normal for him. He said that once, he was completely drunk, but instinctively, as he put it, he still managed to drive home. Only a couple of times had he been so drunk that he fell off his motorbike and had to be taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. This time, however, he couldn't remember or understand why he acted that way.
Noticing inconsistencies in the defendant's testimony, most members of the panel of judges that day participated in questioning him. However, the defendant's answer remained consistent: he had drunk too much alcohol and lost control of himself.
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After a moment of silence, the defendant confessed that he truly couldn't remember anything, probably due to habit. He claimed there had been no prior conflict between him and the victim. Because they were like brothers, they often shared a few drinks when they met. That day, he was home alone when he saw the victim passing by his house looking for his buffalo. Since he had a half-finished drink, he invited the victim in. As the alcohol flowed, the conversation quickened. Midway through the drinking session, he recalled the earlier fire in his acacia and eucalyptus plantation and began to reproach the victim for not putting out the fire after burning the grass in his plantation a few days prior, allowing it to spread and kill the eucalyptus trees. The victim, however, denied this. That was all that happened during the drinking session. But the argument escalated, and then, what was bound to happen, happened.
The defendant confessed: "At that time, I thought that since I and the victim were relatives, and we had a few drinks, it would be easier to talk, so I spoke up to clarify right from wrong. I didn't have any evidence that the fire in my melaleuca forest was related to the victim."
The presiding judge then asked, "After committing the crime, did the defendant call his child to inform them of the incident and say that he would take responsibility for his actions, and then go to the police station to surrender?"
The defendant replied, "I know my crime, that's why I turned myself in." In response to the defendant's testimony, the victim's family requested that the court impose a severe sentence. The trial was adjourned for the judges to deliberate. Due to the strong reaction from the victim's family, the police officers carrying out the sentence had to escort the defendant to a separate waiting room to avoid unnecessary conflict.
Only when the court announced the 19-year prison sentence for "murder" did the old man seem to suddenly sober up from his drunken stupor, turning to apologize to the victim's family in the face of their harsh reactions.
The trial ended, and he trudged silently to the prisoner transport vehicle. As he passed the victim's portrait, he bowed his head and hurried along. It seemed he was trying not only to avoid the person in the photo, but also to avoid the gaze and cries of the victim's relatives.
Le Thy
(*) The names of the characters in this article have been changed.
Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/phap-luat/202504/trong-con-say-2225445/
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