Teacher jailed, pardoned in hit-and-run awaits final verdict

By Thaweep Srisuchart 
The Nation

 

 

Schoolteacher Jomsap Saenmuangkhot’s long quest to prove her innocence in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist will reach its conclusion when the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court announces the Supreme Court verdict on Friday afternoon (November 17).

The former Sakhon Nakhon teacher, 54, on Tuesday declared herself happy but overwhelmed with anticipation after learning the date of the verdict.

 

Jomsap was convicted in 2013 of being the driver of a pickup truck with the Sakhon Nakhon licence plate number Bor Khor 56, which eight years earlier had struck and killed cyclist Lua Phorbumrung in Nakhon Phanom’s Renu Nakhon district and then failed to stop.

 

She was sent to prison for three years and two months.

 

In June 2014, Mukdahan resident Sap Wapi confessed to police that he had been the driver of the truck involved in the accident, and its licence number was the same, though registered in his home province.

 

Sap paid compensation money to Lua’s family.

 

Jomsap was granted a royal pardon in April 2015 after serving 18 months and asked the Justice Ministry to reopen her case so she could try to establish her innocence and clear her record.

 

“No matter what it is,” she said on Tuesday of the pending court verdict, “I will accept the ruling, because I fought this battle following the proper legal procedures.”

 

If the court finds that she is in fact guilty, she said, she would still seek reinstatement to the civil service – despite this “stain on my life”.

 

If she is exonerated, she would keep a promise made in prayer and donate white clothing for female prison inmates to wear during their meditation sessions and dharma practice.

 

She would ask to be reinstated to her former job so she could serve society well as a demonstration of her gratitude for being given a second chance.

 

Either way, Jomsap said, she would live a simple life following the principles of the “sufficiency economy”.

 

“I love teaching and I’m proud of the profession,” she said. “I have devoted my whole life to this civil service job. I’m also worried about the children whose education might be affected.

 

“I have unfinished business. Before I was jailed, my school had 300-400 pupils, but there is only half that number now, and I believe that’s because the stain on me affected the school. I want to go back and clear that away and restore the school’s dignity.”

 

Jomsap thanked the people who have helped her in trying to prove her innocence, including Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Pol Col Dusadee Arayawut and Mark Pilbul, who raised money through public donations for her court battle.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331570

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-14

I wish this lady good luck. To sit in jail for 10 months AFTER the true perpetrator has confessed and to then have to wait another two and a half years more to get a new court ruling on an apparently cut and dried issue must be tough. I am wondering what happened to the guy that did do it, as the story doesn't tell us?

best of luck lady

It may be time to urgently change the registration system of vehicle plate numbers, nationwide !!!....

 

it will avoid further misunderstandings and sending the innocent to jail.

 

Such confusions are shameful as anybody can suddenly get involved for nothing....it the duty of governance to protect society from such confusions that can have drastic consequences for the innocent.

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by observer90210

This lady has suffered the outrageous slings and arrows of mis-justice and, has responded with dignity and courage.  I would want her to teach my children.

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by Tilacme

I would expect a heartfelt apologize and big financial compensation.

not only for the wrong sentence but also for the unnecessary delay after the real perpetrator confessed

8 months in prison for nothing and another 10 months in prison in spite of proof of innocence. If that's not despicable...

 

But who knows what will happen in this country 

20 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I wish this lady good luck. To sit in jail for 10 months AFTER the true perpetrator has confessed and to then have to wait another two and a half years more to get a new court ruling on an apparently cut and dried issue must be tough. I am wondering what happened to the guy that did do it, as the story doesn't tell us?

He went down the "paying them off" route.

 

Quote

In June 2014, Mukdahan resident Sap Wapi confessed to police that he had been the driver of the truck involved in the accident, and its licence number was the same, though registered in his home province. Sap paid compensation money to Lua’s family.

 

Which will probably be what the doctor who tried to drive over the security guard will do. No jail time for him, I expect.

 

 

16 hours ago, Tilacme said:

This lady has suffered the outrageous slings and arrows of mis-justice and, has responded with dignity and courage.  I would want her to teach my children.

I agree-undaunted courage.

what a nightmare for her, hope she gets the pardon

2 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

what a nightmare for her, hope she gets the pardon

That was granted in April 2015 according to the OP, several months after the guilty party had stepped forward and confessed

Its the rest of it thats soooooo third world, not least the time it took the authorities to establish she was actually innocent and release her

4 hours ago, 12DrinkMore said:

He went down the "paying them off" route.

 

 

Which will probably be what the doctor who tried to drive over the security guard will do. No jail time for him, I expect.

 

 

I did not watch the video, but based on comments from those that did I got the distinct impression that he did a little more than try

Let's hear it for the guy from the justice ministry who helped her raise money and pushed for her case, God bless him. 

A teacher Um Guilty lock her up