Phnom Penh Appeal Court judge Seng Sivutha on Tuesday reduced the sentence of a former National Assembly-Senate Relations official who shot and injured a music operator at a club in 2017 after his lawyer said he was aware of his mistake and the victim withdrew his complaint.
Duch Sovannareth, 34, the perpetrator of the crime, pleaded his case at a hearing on August 24. He was initially sentenced to two and a half years in prison but will now serve just two years for shooting and injuring the victim, Bie Samoeun, 33, who also suffered a broken leg in the attack.
Sovannareth confessed to the crime on Tuesday before asking the judge to reduce his sentence.
According to Samoeun’s report, he withdrew the complaint because he is friends with Sovannareth. Samoeun said he received compensation from Sovannareth and considered the matter settled.
Sivutha said because of this, Sovannareth’s sentence was reduced to two years in prison.
The Appeal Court’s report said in November 2017, Sovannareth had a dispute with a man called Seiha. Samoeun tried to stop Sovannareth from escalating the dispute and Sovannareth then shot Samoeun twice, injuring his right leg and left hip.
Sovannareth shot many more rounds into the ceiling before escaping. In January 2018, he was arrested in Oddar Meanchey province and taken to Phnom Penh.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court heard the case that January and issued a verdict on March 21, last year. The court charged him with violence with aggravating circumstance and sentenced him to two and a half years in prison.
Sivutha also issued a verdict on a separate case involving Sovannareth on Tuesday. Previously, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced him to four years imprisonment for violently stealing a necklace from a victim.
Sivutha reduced the sentence to three years imprisonment.
