Bin Sin and his accomplice Em Sros were sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2015. Kim Sarom
A suspect in a 2015 murder, Sin Bin, requested a sentence reduction on Tuesday at the Tbong Khmum Appeal Court after he maintained that he did not participate in the actual killing.
The murder occurred on June 1, 2015, in Damrel commune’s Khnub Domrey village in Tbong Khmum province’s O’Reang-ou district.
According to Appeal Court records, Bin and his accomplice Em Sros persuaded the victim, Suon Hing, to drive them to a shop for beer in Tbuong Khmum district.
After they finished their beer, Sros and Bin enticed Hing to join them at a KTV parlour in Neak Loeung, a busy commercial town in Prey Veng Province, where they consumed more alcohol.
The record further stated that after drinking until around 11pm, Hing was inebriated. He agreed to join Sros and Bin for more drinking in Kampong Cham province.
Upon arriving at a bridge in Chiror 2 commune in Tbuong Khmum district, Hing stopped his motorcycle to relieve himself.
While he was relieving himself, Sros and Bin allegedly murdered Hing by striking him on the head with a stick five or six times.
Sros and Bin then dragged Hing into a forest, about 25m from the pavement where the incident occurred.
They removed Hing’s gold necklace and ring before taking his motorcycle and riding back to O’Reang-ou district.
After finding Hing’s body, police commenced a 15-day manhunt which led to Bin’s arrest, while Sros escaped.
The Kampong Cham Provincial Court sentenced Bin and Sros, who was tried in absentia, to 20 years in prison on November 29, 2015, for aggravated robbery. The court also ordered police to find and arrest Sros.
Bin admitted to the judge at Tuesday’s hearing that he had enticed Hing to drink beer. But he said Sros had killed him.
“I saw Sros hitting the victim and I tried to stop him. But Sros wouldn’t stop. I request that the court reduce my sentence,” he said.
At the hearing, prosecutor Teav Kim Kalyan asked Bin why he didn’t stop Sros from beating Hing. If he was not Sros’ accomplice, Sros would have likely killed him, she said.
“Normally, someone who witnesses a crime like this is not allowed to live. If the witness is allowed to live, he or she tells the police,” she said.
Bin’s lawyer said because his client confessed, he should be granted a reduced sentence.
But Kim Kalyan said she believed Bin had killed Hing and asked that the court uphold the provincial court’s ruling.
Judge Sin Visal said a verdict will be announced in June.
