Husband, wife blame one another for murder

 

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea 

A 59-year-old man intervened to stop a quarrel between his daughter and son-in-law but ended up stabbed in the abdomen and died from his injuries. 

Bun Vanna’s son-in-law Heng Saoreaksmey said that his wife Bun Sofe stabbed her father but the 30-year-old said her husband did it. 

Saoreaksmey, 31, a former naval officer, said he and Sofe were arguing at their home in Phnom Penh’s Boeng Tumpon commune, in Tnoat Chroum village, when Sofe’s father intervened. 

Saoreaksmey told the Phnom Penh Court yesterday that Vanna was stabbed when he tried to forcibly remove a knife from his daughter during a struggle.

Court’s presiding Judge Chhun Davy said Saoreaksmey and Sofe were charged with murder under Article 199 of the Criminal Code and face imprisonment of between 10 and 15 years if convicted. 

She added that they were arrested on August 13 last year after Saoreaksmey and Sofe had allegedly stabbed their father to death when he intervened to stop the couple from quarreling as Sofe had taken a bayonet and threatened to kill the husband over jealousy at that time. 

During yesterday’s hearing, Saoreaksmey and Sofe, denied the allegation and blamed each other for causing the victim’s death. 

Saoreaksmey told the court that he and Sofe married in 2018 and lived in his father-in-law house in Boeng Tumpon village. 

He claimed that Sofe was always accusing him for having an affair and during their quarrel on August 13, he asked for a divorce but Sofe refused. 

“Sofe shouted at me loudly and ran to get a knife hidden in the bedroom. 

“My father-in-law came into our room, cursed at us for always quarreling, and shouted at my wife to drop the knife and stop arguing,” Saoreaksmey told the court. 

“He tried to take the knife away from my wife and a struggle ensued,” he said. “He was stabbed in the abdomen and was seriously injured.” 

Saoreaksmey said he and his wife carried Vanna into his car and brought him to a private clinic in the commune. 

He said that but the clinic owner [doctor] refused to treat his injuries due to the seriousness of his injuries and advised him to take the patient to the Khmer-Russian Friendship Hospital. 

“At about 12 pm, when I brought my father-in-law to the When we got to the Khmer- Russian Friendship Hospital at about 12pm, the hospital doctors did not attend to him immediately. 

“They tested for Covid-19 and only treated him when he was found to be negative. 

“He died at the hospital’s waiting room due to his serious injuries, and also due to excessive loss of blood,” Saoreaksmey said. 

Saoreaksmey asked the court to drop his charge and release him from the prison. 

Sofe, however, denied Saoreaksmey’s version of what took place in the house.

Sofe told the court that Saoreaksmey was the one who stabbed her father. 

“He [Saoreaksmey] was angry with my father for cursing him. He then ran to take a sharp hidden in the room and stabbed my father many times. My father ran out and when he got downstairs he fell down,” she said.  

She said that after her father died, Saoreaksmey persuaded her to confess that she had stabbed the victim and he promised that “he will not divorce her and will take care of her forever”. 

She claimed that Saoreaksmey had also written to her when they were in prison urging her to confess that she was the only one who stabbed the victim. 

She added that Saoreaksmey promised that if he is released from the prison, he would find a way to take her out from the prison. 

“Please release me from prison,” she said. \