Phạm Minh Hải and Phạm Minh Đức appear in court in Đà Nẵng Cit. — Photo congly.vn

ĐÀ NẴNG — Two brothers who beat up a man and left him with brain damage in a retaliation attack have been jailed.

Phạm Minh Hải, 30, has been jailed for seven years, while his older brother Phạm Minh Đức, 38, sentenced to four years behind bars.

The court in Đà Nẵng City was told that on March 31, 2024, Lê Văn Long, 54, and Lê Việt, 53, were drinking at Việt’s home when they saw 16-year-old P.Đ.K sitting on Long’s parked motorbike nearby.

Despite the teenager explaining he was waiting for a friend, the two men accused him of trying to steal the motorbike. Việt reportedly restrained the boy while Long punched him repeatedly in the face, causing injuries.

The 16-year-old ran to the nearby home of his uncles, Đức and Hải, seeking help. Outraged by the assault on their nephew, the two brothers accompanied the teen to confront the older men.

At Việt’s house, an argument escalated into violence when Long allegedly challenged the brothers and retrieved a weapon. During the altercation, Hải struck Long with a motorcycle helmet and punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Đức then kicked Long in the head, causing him to strike the ground.

Long suffered serious brain injuries, a fractured skull, facial injuries and internal bleeding, with doctors estimating 40 per cent long-term physical impairment.

The court determined that while Long was no longer capable of defending himself, Đức’s kick to the head constituted a lethal act, fulfilling the legal definition of attempted murder.

Though the victim survived, the judges held both men criminally responsible for intent to kill.

The court noted, however, that the initial blame lay with Long and Việt, who were fined by police for their actions against the teen. The victim’s family also acknowledged they were intoxicated and had lost control, requesting leniency for the defendants. — VNS