A court in the northern Vietnamese province of Thai Binh has ordered the execution of a local woman who sent poisoned bubble tea to a love rival but ended up killing the target’s co-worker instead.

Lai Thi Kieu Trang, a 25-year-old woman from Kien Xuong District, was given the death penalty for “murder” as she had carried out a plan to kill D.T.H.Y., her older cousin whose husband Trang had been having an affair with.

In December last year, Trang poisoned four cups of bubble tea with cyanide, a chemical compound that is highly poisonous, before sending them to Y's workplace.

N.T.H., a colleague of Y. at the Thai Binh Lung Disease Hospital, drank a cup of the poisoned bubble tea and collapsed to her death.

In addition to the death sentence, Trang is responsible for compensating H.’s family a total of VND269 million (US$11,600) and providing the victim’s three children with monthly financial support of VND2 million ($86) until they are 18 years old.

In their confessions at the court, P.V.Q., Y.’s husband, admitted he had been having an affair with Trang, while the 25-year-old woman affirmed that she had had no intention of poisoning anyone people than Y.

Lai Thi Kieu Trang (center, dark blue) stands trial in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam, July 17, 2020. Photo: Khanh Linh / Tuoi Tre

Trang clarified that she bought a total of six cups of bubble tea, but ran out of cyanide after putting the poison into only four of them.

The woman said she was not aware of the level of toxicity of the chemical compound as the person who sold it to her only told her it is toxic and that she should keep it out of her reach.

Trang remained silent when asked by the judges if she had thought about how Y. could have brought the poisoned bubble tea home and given them to her husband and children.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!