Man who stabbed sleeping wife guilty of murder

A man who stabbed his wife while she was sleeping because he believed she was having an affair has been found guilty of murder.

Hai Van Nguyen attacked mother-of-three Hien Thi Vu, 45, multiple times with a kitchen knife at their home in Hatfield Close in Lewisham, south-east London, on 13 April, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

The 42-year-old, who had admitted manslaughter but denied murder, will be sentenced on 19 December.

Det Insp Stephanie Dexter said: "Nguyen was a jealous man who carried out a brutal attack on his wife in their own home, the place she should have been safest."

During the seven-day trial, Nguyen, who spoke through a Vietnamese interpreter, said he had grown jealous over the months leading up to the incident as he believed his wife had a "boyfriend".

On the morning of the attack, at about 06:00 BST, he stabbed his wife more than five times before leaving the house to go to Lewisham Police Station where he was arrested the same day, the court heard.

Nguyen told the court he had been "controlled by the devil" and had "lost control".

He highlighted a head injury he said he had sustained after a motorcycle accident 25 years ago.

Det Insp Dexter, who led the investigation, said: "This is a tragic case and our thoughts remain with the couple's three children who are grieving for the sudden loss of their mother."

She added: "Our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls is unwavering and we would encourage victims to reach out to police or other support agencies to seek help.

"We will respond with sensitivity, and we will work with you to provide the appropriate support, whilst keeping you safe and dealing robustly with the perpetrator."

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