The HCM City People’s Court yesterday handed down the death sentence to Nguyễn Hữu Tình, 18, after he admitted to murdering five members of a family in Bình Tân District last February.— VNA/VNS Photo Thành Chung

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Court yesterday handed down the death sentence to Nguyễn Hữu Tình, 18, after he admitted to murdering five members of a family in Bình Tân District last February.

He also received eight years for robbery and was ordered to pay a compensation of VNĐ200 million (US$8,700) to the victims’ family.

According to the indictment, Mai Xuân Chinh, 46, had hired Tình as a worker at his welding workshop, which was in his house, late last year.

He was paid VNĐ4.5 million (US$200) a month.

But, considering him lazy, Chinh’s wife often scolded him and planned not to hire him again after the Lunar New Year last February, prosecutors had said.

Knowing he was going to be sacked, he planned to take revenge.

Tình and the other workers at the workshop were invited to attend Chinh’s Lunar New Year party on February 12.

After the party, while the others left, Tình stayed behind.

That night he allegedly murdered Chinh, his wife and three children aged six to 13 stabbing them more than 100 times with knives.

Then he allegedly stole some of their belongings before fleeing.

Two days later neighbors noticed a stench emanating from the house and reported to the police.

Breaking into the house, officers discovered the body of Chinh’s wife near the front door while Chinh and his three children were found dead in a bedroom.

Neighbours said the family was well-off.

They also said they had seen no one from the family after the shop closed for New Year or heard them answering phone calls.

The police began investigating and found the two other workers had returned to their homes in the central province of Thanh Hóa while Tình’s phone and Facebook accounts had been closed the day after the murders.

A day later, on February 16, they found Tình hiding in his friend’s house in Long An Province along with a motorbike stolen from the victims. — VNS