A Hanoi court on Friday upheld the 19-year sentence for a local cosmetic surgeon who threw the body of a female patient, who died during a botched surgery at his private beauty salon, into a river two years ago.

Nguyen Manh Tuong, former doctor at the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital and director of Cat Tuong Beauty Salon, dumped the body of Le Thi Thanh Huyen into the Hong (Red) River after his failed surgery in October 2013.

He received the sentence in December 2014, an imprisonment the Hanoi Supreme People’s Court yesterday decided to maintain.

The jury rejected Tuong’s appeal for lighter sentence, saying his crime was too cruel to be given any commutation.

Huyen died at 38 and it was not until July 18, 2014 that her body was found floating in the same river.

Tuong, 42, was charged with “breaching regulations on medical examination and treatment, drug production, preparations, supply and sale or other medical services” and “interfering with human corpses, graves, and/or remains.”

According to the indictment, on October 19, 2013, Tuong performed a breast implant operation for Huyen at his private beauty salon.

After the surgery, Huyen had breathing problems and started foaming at the mouth. Tuong gave her oxygen and other emergency treatment but failed to save her life.

Tuong and Dao Quang Khanh, a guard at the salon, carried her body in a car to the Thanh Tri Bridge and threw it into the Hong (Red) River the same day.

At his first instance trial on December 5, 2014, Tuong was given a jail term of 19 years, against which he appealed, whereas Khanh was sentenced to 33 months behind bar.

Tuong’s wife had paid more than VND200 million (US$8,900) to the victim’s family, according to the jury.

Besides the sentence, Tuong will be banned from practicing any jobs related to medical services for five years after he finishes his jail time, the court said.

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