Court upholds farmer’s life sentence
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court has upheld a 59-year-old farmer’s life sentence meted out after he was convicted of killing his 60-year-old-brother-in-law with an axe.
“The Phnom Penh Appeal Court upholds the December 17, 2018, ruling of the Svay Rieng Provincial Court,” Court’s Presiding Judge Plong Samnang said yesterday.
“Nuon Na alias Chresh has the right to re-appeal the ruling of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court to the Supreme Court within 30 days if he does not agree with it,” she said.
Na was charged with killing So Vang at about 6 pm on November 4, 2017, in Svay Rieng province’s Kork Pring commune, Svay Chroum district,
On December 17, 2018, Na was sentenced by the Svay Rieng Provincial Court to a life sentence in prison. He was charged with “premeditated murder” under Article 200 of the Criminal Code.
Na appealed it to Phnom Penh Appeal Court but his conviction was upheld. Na then appealed to the Supreme Court and the court transferred the case back to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for retrial.
Na was arrested on November 5, 2017, after he had killed his older brother-in-law Vang on November 4, and fled.
According to the court’s documents, Vang was found dead on his bed with three axe wounds on his head and one on his left hand.
Na was arrested by police on November 5.
During his hearing on April 11, Na admitted committing the offence, saying that he killed the victim because he was angry with him for encroaching on his farmland.
Na asked the Appeal Court to
change his charge from “premeditated murder” to “murder” under Article 199 of
the Criminal C which provides prison term of between 10 and 15 years.
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