A Dominican national was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Japan for the murder of a Vietnamese man in August last year.

Brian Alberto Cabrera Cruz, 27, beat a Vietnamese man and pushed him into Dotonbori River in Osaka, the local district court ruled Monday, as reported by MBS News.

The Dominican said he had acted in self-defense. Prosecutors however denied his claim, saying despite the fact that the victim had shown signs of exhaustion, Cruz continued his assault and threw the Vietnamese into the river, ABC News reported.

"It was an excessive and violent attack," prosecutors held.

In August last year, Osaka Prefecture Police said a Vietnamese man had been beaten and kicked into the river to drown. In a statement sent to the Consulate General of Vietnam in Japan, police said the incident had occurred near the pedestrian Ebisu Bridge, crossing Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward of Osaka City.

The victim was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterward. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was suffocation due to drowning, with many bruises recorded to the victim's head and neck.

The victim’s family in Hanoi said he had studied in Japan from 2019.

Cruz was later arrested by police, who found him in Nishirari Ward of Osaka City. Investigators said Cruz and the victim had been drinking near the scene before their conversation escalated into a quarrel, resulting in a scuffle. Cruz left the scene immediately after committing the crime.

Source: VNE