On the afternoon of January 20, District 4 People's Court (HCMC) opened the first instance trial of defendant Bui Thanh Khoa (40 years old) for the crime of "Intentionally causing injury".

Beating someone after a traffic accident

According to the indictment, at 7:00 a.m. on December 9, 2024, Ms. A. (23 years old) was driving a motorbike on Khanh Hoi Street, from District 7 to District 4. Ms. A.'s motorbike was running close to Khoa's motorbike, causing Khoa to lose control of the wheel. Angry, Khoa forced the girl's motorbike into the median strip, then stopped and repeatedly hit the girl in the face, causing the victim to fall onto the road.

Witnessing this behavior, Mr. Ta Van Thom - the driver of a 16-seat passenger van traveling in the opposite direction - stopped his vehicle to intervene. After being stopped, Khoa got in his vehicle and left.

The defendant’s entire violent act was recorded by a dashcam on the road. Forensic examination results showed that the girl suffered 1% injury. After the incident, the victim requested the investigation agency to prosecute Khoa.

Confession

In court, Khoa admitted to all the actions as stated in the indictment. The defendant said he was under great pressure after his divorce. At the time of the incident, Khoa's wife had packed up and left the house, leaving him with the responsibility of taking care of their two young children.

The defendant expressed remorse and apologized to the victim. The victim was absent in court and did not request compensation.

The panel of judges determined that Khoa’s actions were hooliganism, not only seriously violating the health of others but also negatively affecting traffic order. Although the defendant was in difficult circumstances and had repented, the panel of judges still emphasized the need to deal with him severely to deter and maintain social order.

Considering the case, the People's Court sentenced defendant Bui Thanh Khoa to 1 year in prison for the crime of "Intentionally causing injury".