Vanna Kong - Cambodia's 'Frank Sinatra' - jailed for attacking married lover

 The Age | 29 April 2016

A Melbourne singer known as the Frank Sinatra of Cambodia has been jailed for seven years for attacking his married lover.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said on Friday that Vanna Kong, 67, who is regarded as a hero in Cambodia and has been invited to sing at international festivals around the world, savagely attacked the woman after she ended their affair.

Justice Hollingworth said the courts had to send a message that a violent response to a partner's decision to walk away was unacceptable.

'If I can't have you, no-one can', singer Vanna Kong told his married lover before punching her and bashing her head on the ground. He's been jailed for at least four years.

The judge said Kong's victim had been traumatised by the attack and was still suffering nightmares about him.

She had been left angry, stressed, fearful, on guard and had panic attacks when hearing sudden noises or seeing something unexpected.

Kong, who pleaded guilty to one charge of intentionally causing serious injury, was jailed for seven years with a non-parole period of four years.

A father of seven to three different women, Kong was on parole after being jailed in NSW for beating up his former partner and holding her hostage, when he met the victim in August 2013 through mutual friends.

Kong was 54 at the time and the victim, who cannot be named, was 29.

Kong, unemployed but getting occasional work as a singer, and the victim began an affair soon after meeting.

Justice Hollingworth said Kong then began following the victim to work and would regularly drive past her house.

Kong told the victim he loved her and would kill her if she cheated on him.

She ended the relationship in early December 2013 after Kong rang her husband to tell him about the affair.

Kong attacked the victim outside a friend's house in Dandenong North on December 19, 2013, punching her repeatedly to the face, choking her and bashing her head on the ground.

He told the victim, "If I can't have you, no-one can. We can die together."

The judge said the victim, who was terrified Kong was going to kill her, screamed for help and a friend rescued her.

When the victim fell to the ground unconscious, Kong said, "Please forgive me. Give me another chance."

She later spent three days in hospital.

Justice Hollingworth said Kong had a drinking problem and suffered post traumatic stress disorder after seeing his father tortured and killed in Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge.

He had been jailed in 2008 for seven years with a non-parole period of four years for attacking his former partner in NSW before being released in January 2012.

The judge said Kong had shown no sign of genuine remorse over this latest attack or accepted responsibility for what he had done.

Kong, who had migrated with his family to Australia from Cambodia in 1973, was unemployed and living with his elderly mother in Noble Park when he refused to believe the affair was over.

Two Buddhist monks gave character evidence for Kong during his pre-sentence hearing but the judge said she did not believe they had been aware of his previous criminal record or what he had done to the victim.