A MAN who used a large knife to murder his love rival as the victim lay in bed at a Perth home where children were present has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 17 years.
Tan Van Vo, 29, and Jason Tran, 27, were childhood friends but the relationship soured after Vo’s girlfriend developed feelings for Mr Tran.
Vo was jealous and angry when he donned latex gloves and broke into her Alexander Heights home early on the morning of November 1, 2017, the West Australian Supreme Court heard on Friday.
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READ NOWMr Tran was stabbed in the thigh, neck and torso, despite the woman’s efforts to stop Vo’s attack.
The victim was in a pool of blood and died a few hours later in hospital.
Justice Stephen Hall said Mr Tran, who had been asleep before the attack, was vulnerable and had no chance of escaping.
The court heard there was another woman and her two children, aged four and seven, living in the home at the time.
One child heard the commotion and Justice Hall said he must have been frightened.
Justice Hall said there were “bizarre aspects” to Vo’s behaviour that night, including speaking to the housemate’s partner outside and tapping on a partly open window to alert his girlfriend to his presence.
He also noted Vo, a drug user, fled the scene and hid the weapon at another friend’s house.
Vo admitted to police he was angry because Mr Tran had “chatted up his girl”.
He said he only intended to scare Mr Tran by stabbing or bashing him.
But Justice Hall determined Vo had formed an intention to kill Mr Tran.
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