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Man accused of attempted murder of ex-wife in Tonbridge nail bar once told her he would gouge out her eyes to make porridge, court hears

The man accused of trying to murder his ex-wife once threatened to gouge out her eyes "to make porridge to eat", it was claimed

Mother-of-two Lien Dinh, 49, told how in one attack in August last year she was left with her eyes bleeding.

Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street at the time
Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street at the time

Giving evidence in her native Vietnamese from a different room via an interpreter, she told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court how her ex Thuan Dinh made "many threats to kill her".

Dinh, 52, of Rowan Mews, Tonbridge, has denied attempting to murder his former wife.

The prosecution has alleged he launched a murderous attack with a fruit knife at the VCC Nail Bar, in Tonbridge, the day after a court case in which he received a restraining order.

Mrs Dinh told how she arrived at work in March this year and was in the toilet when she heard footsteps "really close".

"I thought at first it was staff. I washed my hands and went into the main room but I did not see anyone. I was surprised.

Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street after the incident
Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street after the incident

"I went to turn on the waxing machine then I saw my ex-husband standing in the corner of the room.

"He was holding a rope up with his two hands. I became very scared. He said something but I didn't hear anything.

"And immediately he used the rope to strangle my neck. At that moment I was petrified."

Mrs Dinh told how she managed to pry it away.

"I was holding on to one end and he was holding on to the other. Many times he said 'give me the rope back'.

"I said 'let go and think of the children' and not to kill their mum."

"Then he tried to gouge my eyes with his finger nails. I put my face on the waxing bed to protect myself. He was pushing extremely hard with his fingers.

"I was screaming for help and I got his hands away. I then tried to run outside but he grabbed my hair and I fell on the floor."

Mrs Dinh claimed her ex sat on top of her, covering her nose and mouth so she couldn't breath.

"I said 'let go and think of the children' and not to kill their mum.

"He said he loved me very much and said he could not let me go. Then he kissed me.

Dinh is on trial at Maidstone Crown Court. Stock picture
Dinh is on trial at Maidstone Crown Court. Stock picture

"I pleaded with him and he let me stand up. He then wanted the rope back. I was holding it in my hands because if I gave it back I feared he would strangle my neck.

"He was extremely angry and used his hands to strangle me.

"He held me extremely tightly and my breathing nearly stopped. I thought of my two children. I thought I could not die like that leaving my children without their mother.

"By that time I regained some strength and got his hands off my neck. He said he would run out, get a knife and cut my neck."

She claimed he went out and got a fruit knife from inside the nail bar.

"I did it because I wanted to be free and that was the way I could be free."

"He came back with the knife and put the knife on my neck. I used my hand to yank it and two of my fingers were cut. I held onto the knife and kept on holding it. I was panicking."

Earlier, she told the jury she met her ex-husband at a refugee camp in Hong Kong.

"I was in the camp and he was free. We were introduced by a cousin because he wanted to get a wife and I wanted to get a husband.

"I did it because I wanted to be free and that was the way I could be free."

Prosecutor Martin Yale asked: "Did you love Mr Dinh?" She replied: "No."

Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street
Police outside the nail bar in Tonbridge High Street

Mrs Dinh said the day she was released from the camp the two began living together until August 1994 when they moved to the UK.

But the marriage didn't improve, she claimed. "We argued and we ignored each other.

"In 2000 we went back to Vietnam and we had an altercation and I wanted to leave him. After returning to the UK, we lived together for a couple of months and then I left him for some time.

"He didn't want to split up. He went to work that day and I escaped and went to Cambridge.

"First I lived with a friend for a few days and then Cambridge council gave us a house in which to live.

"He was very angry when I told him I wanted to leave. He disagreed and then he start gouging my eyes."

"He found me and we got back together and at first we had some happy times but then we started arguing again."

Their second child was born in 2006 but things didn't improve and in 2016 the couple divorced.

"It carried on, good times and then bad times and then good times and then bad times," she said.

On August 3, 2019, there was an incident at their home in Tonbridge when the two argued in the bedroom and she claimed she didn't think they should live together any longer but Dinh disagreed.

"He took it really badly. He was very angry when I told him I wanted to leave. He disagreed and then he start gouging my eyes.

"He said if I left he would kill me. He was extremely angry.

"He tried gouging my eyes putting his thumbs in my eyes and drawing blood and I used my hands to pry his hands away and I shouted to my son for help.

"The police were then called and my eyes were bleeding."

She claimed Dinh told friends he would gouge out her eyes and use them to make porridge for him to eat.

The trial continues.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

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