Man jailed for 12 years in legal first

Paul Kennedy and Vũ Thu Hà

HƯNG YÊN — In a legal first, a man has been jailed in Việt Nam for killing another man  一 四 years ago in the United Kingdom.

It is the first time a trial has been held in Việt Nam for an offence co妹妹itted in a foreign country.

Lê Minh Tú,  四 七, was sentenced to  一 二 years in prison at the People's Court of Hưng Yên Province for the unlawful killing of  四 四-year-old Trần Nguyên who died after he was badly beaten in November  二00 六.

Detective Chief Inspector Justin O’Keefe of Gwent Police said: “This was the first time a trial was held in Việt Nam for a foreign offence. It’s taken years of work liaising with a range of authorities, but we never lost hope that we would see the outcome we now have.”

Detective Chief Inspector Justin O’Keefe of Gwent Police talks about the case and the cooperation between UK and Vietnamese agencies. Video: Gwent Police

Lê Văn Tuấn, Chief Judge of Hưng Yên Province People’s Court told Việt Nam News: “The case has clearly proved the effective co-operation between the two countries. A representative from the UK Embassy attended the court on Monday, saying the UK was very pleased with the helpful co-operation from Việt Nam.”

Nguyên had been brought to the UK in the back of a lorry in  二00 六 and was illegally employed looking after a cannabis factory.