Man who gunned down teen driver gets 10 years

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

A screencap from a dashcam footage of the deadly shooting on Feb. 4, 2017.

 

CHONBURI — An engineer who shot dead a 17-year-old boy during a parking dispute last year was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.

 

The court rejected the self-defense claim of 51-year-old Suthep Poshsomboon and found him guilty of premeditated murder in what began as a roadside altercation in Chonburi province. He was also ordered to pay 340,000 baht in restitution.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/09/27/man-who-gunned-down-teen-driver-gets-10-years/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-9-27

Be life without parole just about anywhere else.

Be life without parole just about anywhere else.

No. Your talking 1st degree.

3 minutes ago, blackhorse said:

26 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Be life without parole just about anywhere else.

No. Your talking 1st degree.

https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/first-degree-murder-overview.html

in the USA:

In most states, first-degree murder is defined as an unlawful killing that is both willful and premeditated, meaning that it was committed after planning or "lying in wait" for the victim.

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Be life without parole just about anywhere else.

The USA? 

I remember the report when the killing happened. It seems that it was more then provoked by a gang of violent youngsters - and his family was threatened. If those reports were not all wrong I am disturbed by this hard verdict. In particular when seeing really premiditated violent  murderers going free or getting a mild sentence.

May be my memory is wrong. Cann anybody correct me?

In answer to sweatalot you could be right, but check the vid from the article this opener was taken from, on the same page!

1 hour ago, sweatalot said:

I remember the report when the killing happened. It seems that it was more then provoked by a gang of violent youngsters - and his family was threatened. If those reports were not all wrong I am disturbed by this hard verdict. In particular when seeing really premiditated violent  murderers going free or getting a mild sentence.

May be my memory is wrong. Cann anybody correct me?

Your memory is not wrong. But he a sort of, overreacted... hence the sentence. Doubt he will serve the full time, anyway.

Engineer gets 10 years in jail for road-rage killing of boy

By PREEWADEE WICHAIPRASIT 
THE NATION

 

Suthep Poshsomboon and his wife

 

THE CHON BURI Provincial Court on Thursday handed down a 10-year jail term to an engineer who shot dead a teenage schoolboy in a high-profile road rage incident last year.
 

Suthep Poshsomboon was also fined Bt2,000 and ordered to pay Bt340,000 compensation to the victim’s mother. 

 

The case has received huge media coverage since a video clip of the road-rage incident first appeared on social media in February 2017, with the Thai public divided over whether Suthep acted out of self-defence. 

 

 

The clip showed a van come to a complete stop in the middle lane of a Chon Buri road, apparently so the driver and passenger could pop out to buy souvenirs from roadside shops. In doing so, the van blocked Suthep from driving away and this led to an argument. Both sides shouted at each other, but it did not lead to a fist fight. 

 

All vehicles continued on their way but Suthep was soon honking for prolonged periods at the van that had earlier blocked his exit. He also overtook the van and cut back inside, slowing down in a provocative manner. The van then closely followed Suthep’s vehicle.

 

Sensing danger, Suthep stopped his car to ask bystanders for help. Suddenly, the van also stopped and several young men got out and surrounded his car. They shouted at Suthep and challenged him to get out of the vehicle. Suthep refused and stayed inside, but because he had opened his window, Nawapon Peungpai was able to hit him.

 

Following a several punch by the 17-year-old boy, a gunshot was heard. The narrative on the video clip revealed that Suthep had mentioned the gun from the very beginning and later admitted to his wife that he shot the boy. 

 

Following the incident, Suthep was arraigned for pre-meditated murder and carrying a gun in a public place.

 

Suthep pleaded guilty to the gun charge but claimed he pulled the trigger in self-defence, not with the intent to kill. 

 

The court, however, convicted Suthep of both charges on the grounds that he had apparently prepared to use his gun from the very beginning of the incident.

 

“Both sides voluntarily got into a dispute. Had the defendant not followed the van and honked in a provocative manner, the shooting would have not occurred,” the court said. 

 

The court also noted that the victim and his friends did not in any way touch Suthep’s wife, mother or child in the car. 

 

Suthep received a lesser sentence than it might have been on the grounds that his action arose out of a lack of self-restraint rather than from a cruel heart, that he did not flee the scene, and that he admitted to the fatal shooting. His jail term was thus reduced from 15 years to 10 years and his fine from Bt4,000 to Bt2,000.

 

Nawapon’s parents were satisfied with the court verdict.

 

“Thank you for the justice,” the victim’s mother, Maneeporn Peungpai, said. 

 

Suthep, who is now out of jail on Bt670,000 bail, said he intended to appeal.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355352

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-28

 

 

 

Justice system throwing any old rubbish up again. Sure it is a somewhat complex case that certainly could have gone either way.

However the premeditated murder charge is ridiculous, as is giving a now convicted killer bail of less than the price of a family car on the same day he was convicted. What a total shambles 

1 hour ago, z42 said:

However the premeditated murder charge is ridiculous,

Ridiculous??? Anyone who puts a gun in their car premeditates using it to kill someone.....

32 minutes ago, wirat69 said:

Ridiculous??? Anyone who puts a gun in their car premeditates using it to kill someone.....

by your logic, anyone who keeps a knife in the kitchen or a gun at home are murderers. the incident was premeditated because the engineer provoked the latter encounter, not because he kept a gun in his vehicle. 

34 minutes ago, wirat69 said:

Ridiculous??? Anyone who puts a gun in their car premeditates using it to kill someone.....

how do you come to that conclusion?

many police carry guns and ride in cars, are they fitting your criteria? If you take a gun in the car to go to a shooting range and practice are you intent on shooting to kill en route?

47 minutes ago, wirat69 said:

Ridiculous??? Anyone who puts a gun in their car premeditates using it to kill someone.....

Oh Oh

Fair enough he shot the boy so murder is on the cards.how many Thais do you know who carry guns. I know one and you would not expect it if you looked at him.

I counted something like 15 people who exited the van to confront the man and his wife. Not justifying the use of the gun, but they were probably terrified. Can't see how the charge was considered premeditated.

Thainess at his best.

If he kept his cool for 2 minutes nothing would have happened in the first place.

Chai jen jen is wat they all say , but not practice.

Difficult case here where both sides clearly did wrong. 

 

The kids were looking for a fight and one got what he was looking for, but the guy was looking for gaining face and making a statement and he didn't get what he wanted.

I sure hope the driver of the van will be punished also for accomodating the group of kids.

 

In my view, as a non-judge, the sentence should be much lower for the shooter. He was defending himself at that moment although the whole situation was partly caused by him.

He was baiting them and felt brave because he had a gun. They were wrong to block the road, however. Why do these transport vans always think they own the whole goddamn road? 

12 hours ago, sweatalot said:

I remember the report when the killing happened. It seems that it was more then provoked by a gang of violent youngsters - and his family was threatened. If those reports were not all wrong I am disturbed by this hard verdict. In particular when seeing really premiditated violent  murderers going free or getting a mild sentence.

May be my memory is wrong. Cann anybody correct me?

 

Your memory is not inaccurate.

Hard verdict indeed - but he's not a minister / politician / Redbull heir or in anyway connected whatsoever.

 

 

12 hours ago, The manic said:

The USA? 

 This is Thailand...the law in USA is not the subject here...

1 hour ago, wirat69 said:

Ridiculous??? Anyone who puts a gun in their car premeditates using it to kill someone.....

 

Or "something" (e.g. animal)?

Or use it for personal defence? ????

 

Murder and 40 quid mentioned in the same sentence ,be careful out there guys no one's safe ☠

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Suthep, who is now out of jail on Bt670,000 bail, said he intended to appeal

Only in Thailand!!!!!

Seems to me the judges used a good deal of common sense here. If the engineer had not chosen to chase the van and provoke the subsequent reaction from its occupants, he would not have found himself in the position where he felt he needed to use his gun, and the person he shot would be alive. The gun was a Ruger LCP, which is popular in Thailand as a concealed carry choice because it's small. Meaning that he likely bought it specifically because it's easy to carry around / throw in a glove compartment. Of course, like most people, he didn't have a concealed carry permit (Por 12) which would allow him to do that. While it may be true that a primary reason to have a gun is to use it (although collecting pricey guns is also a hobby here), there are many people who own guns who only use them for sporting purposes. I own firearms legally here for just that purpose. If a firearm is in my car, it is locked, unloaded, in a hard case, and any ammo is locked in a separate hard case. The best defence in a road rage situation here I would say is stay in the vehicle and wai the angry person/people. Even if it sticks in the craw to do it. 

22 minutes ago, car720 said:

 

You don't have a gun at all unless you intend to use it.

Unfortunately this is Thailand and the need is great.

 

Not true at all.

 

In many countries the public don't / cannot carry guns and as a result way less gun violence, death, school rampages etc etc...

 

And even more to the point in 99% / 100% of those countries the public want laws that very strongly limit gun ownership.

1 hour ago, swifty5x5 said:

Oh Oh

Ha, oh oh is right. Wonder what that makes all those cowboys in the USAs' past? As long as the small firearm is legal then there are a variety of reasons for carry one.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

An engineer who shot dead a 17-year-old boy during a parking dispute last year was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.

Just a minor aside, why the mention of "engineer?"

His profession plays no role in the incident nor lends any connection between the arguing parties. Nowhere in the report is there any tie made to Suthep's actions and his profession.

I could see mentioning if Suthep was someone connected with the government (ie., minister), medical profession or law enforcement such as a policeman, judge or prosecutor as that might have some ethical connection with the arguing parties.

I don't see the article having any different value than if Suthep was identified as a trash collector, an agricultural laborer or power plant operator.

Nice that we can also read the actual sentencing in court. seems have better crime reporters nowadays.

 

To bad the engineer is out of bail again he belongs in jail.

 

He lost face and was very trigger happy driving around with a loaded gun is stupid.

 

 

32 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Just a minor aside, why the mention of "engineer?"

His profession plays no role in the incident nor lends any connection between the arguing parties. Nowhere in the report is there any tie made to Suthep's actions and his profession.

I could see mentioning if Suthep was someone connected with the government (ie., minister), medical profession or law enforcement such as a policeman, judge or prosecutor as that might have some ethical connection with the arguing parties.

I don't see the article having any different value than if Suthep was identified as a trash collector, an agricultural laborer or power plant operator.

Obviously you probably don't have any engineer friends.

They say that argueing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud, after a while you realize the pig is enjoying it.

 

i worked one time with an electrical engineer. We had a plumber come over and the engineer was showing him the plumbing issues in the mansion we managed. On a break the plumber asked me if the other guy was an engineer? I responded yes, and how did you know that? Because engineers always think they know everything  about your job and everybody else's........Nuff said. 

So that would explain his stubbornness of not wanting to let it go and move on....he was right.

Edited September 28, 20187 yr by Mansell
To add some more info.