Three Chinese nationals – Huang Jie Cheng (born 2006), Gan Ying (born 2007), and Luo Shen Jun (born 2008) — at the first-instance trial on September 8. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NGÃI — The People’s Court of Quảng Ngãi Province on Monday opened the first-instance trial of three defendants from Guangxi, China, accused of murder and robbery of a Vietnamese taxi last year.

According to the indictment, on July 26, 2024, the three – Huang Jie Cheng (born 2006), Gan Ying (born 2007), and Luo Shen Jun (born 2008) – illegally entered the northeastern province of Quảng Ninh, seeking jobs through the guidance of a person named A Yang, whom they had met online.

At around 3am on July 27, they took a taxi driven by Nguyễn Văn H. (born 1977, residing in Quảng Ninh) to travel southward. During the journey, Luo Shen Jun noticed that the taxi’s navigation system showed a destination in Cambodia. Wishing to return to China, they tried to contact A Yang but failed.

The group then conspired to incapacitate the driver using a shirt to strangle him and a power bank to strike him unconscious, intending to seize the car and drive back to Quảng Ninh.

At about 7pm that day, when the taxi was leaving a petrol station for National Highway 1, the defendants carried out their plan, strangling the driver until he lost consciousness. Huang Jie Cheng then drove the car to a deserted area nearby and dumped the victim on the roadside, causing his death.

They subsequently drove northwards. On the way, Luo Shen Jun discarded the victim’s two mobile phones to avoid location tracking and took over VNĐ3.5 million (over $130) and 100 yuan in cash.

While travelling along National Highway 1 in the former Quảng Bình Province in central Việt Nam, the defendants were ordered to stop by traffic police for inspection. Instead of complying, they fled but were soon subdued and arrested.

After reviewing the case files, testimonies, arguments, and considering aggravating and mitigating factors as well as the legal provisions applicable to juvenile offenders, the trial panel handed down the following sentences: 12 years for murder and seven years for robbery (19 years in total) to Huang Jie Cheng; nine years for murder and four years for robbery to Luo Shen Jun (13 years in total); and eight years for murder and three years for robbery (11 years in total) to Gan Ying. — VNS