Nguyễn Văn Ngọ. — Photo baogiaothong.vn

Double jeopardy is a key legal concept which stops someone being tried twice for the same crime, but try telling that to a woman scorned.

A 29-year-old man living in the northern province of Bắc Ninh was surprised to be sentenced to jail for four months because he destroyed his lover's smartphone, despite having already replaced it.

Nguyễn Văn Ngọ told baogiaothong.vn online newspaper that he allegedly smashed the Samsung phone worth about VNĐ4 million (US$170) following a heated argument with his girlfriend.

Later, he bought another one of the same kind for her, however his girlfriend decided he should still be reported to the police.

According to the indictment of the Thái Nguyên Province People’s Court, on March, 2018, Ngọ went to a motel to meet Lê Thị T., 23.  

T,. residing in Quảng Ninh Province, was furious when Ngọ broke her phone. Although after that, she received money from Ngọ to buy a new phone.

At the end of 2018, Ngọ discovered he was wanted by police office.  

Thái Nguyên Province People's Court has sentenced Ngọ to four months in prison for destroying the personal property of others.— VNS