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Australia - Source: ONE News
As his 11-year-old son looked on, Minh Ly Tran attacked his
ex-wife in a homicidal frenzy, fatally stabbing her and her younger
son.
Tran had become so obsessed over the break-up of his marriage, the
loss of his property and the loss of access to his two children,
that his only reaction was one of extreme violence.
In March this year the 49-year-old went to the Adelaide home of his
former wife, Trac Nguyen, 40, in a final attempt to see his son and
seven-year-old daughter.
But when they rejected his bid to be involved in their lives, he
attacked.
Passing sentence on Friday on two counts of murder, South
Australian Supreme Court Chief Justice John Doyle said Tran dragged
Nguyen into the backyard of her home as she clung to her
22-month-old son.
He then stabbed them both several times using a screwdriver with a
blade attached.
Justice Doyle said in killing the young boy there appeared to be an
element of revenge in Tran's actions.
"You were prepared to kill whoever attracted your anger at the
time," he told Tran.
Justice Doyle said Tran had shown no remorse or contrition over his
actions and little concern for the impact the killings would have
on his own son who had watched as the fatal blows were
inflicted.
"He will be burdened by that memory for the rest of his life," the
judge said.
In earlier submissions, defence counsel Greg Mead said after the
killings Tran had contacted police almost immediately saying he
wanted to be taken to jail because he had killed the person who had
killed him.
"In his mind, his life had been devastated by the loss of his
children, his wife and his property," Mead said.
"In that sense he felt that he had been killed."
Mead said Tran's reaction to his situation was to act in a
homicidal frenzy.
"The only response with which he was capable was one of extreme
violence."
Justice Doyle imposed the mandatory two life sentences on Tran but
one 27-year non-parole period.
He said the term would have been 32 years had Tran not pleaded
guilty to the killings.
