A Vietnamese national convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for illegally detaining a man who sub-sequently lost a finger over a gambling debt pleaded his case at the Appeal Court yesterday.

Thay Vannen, 44, was arrested in January for detaining Ngveang Hytin, whose finger was cut off and sent to his wife, along with a demand for money.

Presiding judge Pol Samoeun said Hytin had gambled away all his money, and asked to borrow $2,000 from Vannen, only to lose that money as well.

The suspect then allegedly locked Hytin in a car and detained him at a construction site for five days before Yek, a friend of the suspect, cut off Hytin’s finger.

Neang Hai, Vannen’s attorney, said Yek was to blame, and that ”no evidence could prove that my client had committed the crime”. The verdict will be announced on July 15.