‘Popcorn Gunman’ Jailed After Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal

[webfact]

‘Popcorn Gunman’ Jailed After Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

Vivat Yodprasit, at front, shows police how he allegedly fired an assault rifle at pro-government protests in a crime re-enactment staged in March 2014.

 

BANGKOK — A man accused of mortally wounding an elderly vendor during a protest in 2014 was convicted and sentenced to nearly 40 years in jail Wednesday.

 

Overturning a lower court’s verdict acquitting Vivat Yodprasit, the Supreme Court found him guilty on multiple counts including manslaughter, firearm-related charges and violating the emergency decree imposed at the time. Vivat was given a jail term of 37 years and four months. He has already served four years in jail since his arrest.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2018/11/07/popcorn-gunman-jailed-after-supreme-court-overturns-acquittal/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-11-07

[Chang_paarp]

A good result, albeit a long time coming. It is a pity he did not give up his supervisor.

[Bluespunk]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

A man accused of mortally wounding an elderly vendor during a protest in 2014 was convicted and sentenced to nearly 40 years in jail Wednesday.

Good

[Eric Loh]

Only 40 years! Lucky for premeditated murder. Scumbag deserve life. On the bright side, he was well paid by Suthep or Issara. 

[sweatalot]

10 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

 he was well paid by Suthep or Issara. 

how do you know?

 

Normally it is the other side which is well paid by their puppet master

[Oziex1]

He deserves punishment but what about the agent provocateurs from the other side. They got away with their crimes, yes? 

[rkidlad]

37 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

how do you know?

 

Normally it is the other side which is well paid by their puppet master

Maybe being rich and paying people to do your dirty work isn't only exclusive to one side. 

Edited November 7, 2018 by rkidlad

[JemJem]

And, yet, the 'top-level' people, who should ideally be held accountable for many deaths remain free (some of them in Thailand and some of them outside Thailand) and are unlikely to ever do any jail time. I am talking about both reds and yellows. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, sweatalot said:

how do you know?

 

Normally it is the other side which is well paid by their puppet master

There are puppets on all sides all led by puppet masters... Red, Yellow, Green Black doesn't matter 

keep the guns off the streets and let the people vote via the ballet box, not with intimidation !

When the votes are counted Thailand will have to live with the result good or bad !

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Only 40 years! Lucky for premeditated murder. Scumbag deserve life. On the bright side, he was well paid by Suthep or Issara. 

 

40 years in a Thai prison and he's 37 years old. Don't expect much life after he serves his sentence!

 

Any evidence of who paid him and how much? Or just wild speculation based on personal bias?

[sweatalot]

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Well, as much as I dislike them, they played the game. Get votes and you win. It's really that simple. 

 

 

they played the game and won by cheating.

[rkidlad]

14 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

they played the game and won by cheating.

I believe that's all part of the game.

 

Politicians cheat all the time. It's just you have to be smart enough not to get caught. Or in the case not so long ago, get caught (25 watches) and just go on as if nothing ever happened. No one holds a junta accountable. 

[metisdead]

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[webfact]

Supreme Court jails ‘popcorn gunman’ for 37 years

By THE NATION

 

Wiwat Yodprasit, known as “popcorn gunman”, arrives at a courthouse. The Supreme Court sentenced him to 37 years and four months in jail for his |involvement in a shooting during the 2014 political protests.

 

THE SUPREME COURT on Wednesday sentenced to 37 years and four months in jail a man found to be the “popcorn gunman” involved in an anti-government rally aimed at blocking elections in February 2014.

 

Wiwat Yodprasit, 28, was convicted by the court for the shooting at the Lak Si intersection in Bangkok’s Lak Si district.

 

The area was under a state of emergency declared after anti-government protesters threatened to obstruct voting at different polling stations and the intersection was the scene of a volatile stand-off between pro- and anti-government demonstrators.

 

The suspect was called “popcorn gunman” due to the image of a masked person holding a rifle in a large empty bag of popcorn seeds with the gun’s muzzle sticking out of a hole in the bag. Many images and video recordings of his actions at the intersection appeared in the mainstream media and on the Internet.

 

The masked gunman was believed to be one of the security guards protecting protesters affiliated with the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, which at that time held street rallies in Bangkok against the government led by Yingluck Shinawatra. Wearing a balaclava while in action, the gunman fired shots into a department store near the intersection, seriously injuring four people, one of whom later died. The deceased man was identified as Akaew Saeliew, 72, whose daughter Uangfa became a co-plaintiff in the case along with public prosecutors.

 

 

Wiwat was charged with murder, attempted murder, possessing a firearm and ammunition without permission, and carrying the gun and bullets in a public place against the law and the emergency decree.

 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the Appeals Court verdict acquitting Wiwat. The top court ruled that video footage and photos posted online, which had been produced by the prosecution during the trial, were sufficient to establish that the defendant and the masked gunman were the same person. The defendant’s brother also delivered a damning testimony to the court, saying the masked gunman in the footage resembled Wiwat, the verdict said.

 

In March 2016, a lower court found the evidence produced by the prosecution and by police officers on duty were convincing. 

 

The court was convinced that Wiwat was the masked gunman involved in the 2014 shooting. The court initially sentenced him to life imprisonment but later reduced the jail term to 37 years and four months due to his confession deemed to be beneficial to the trial. The convict appealed against the verdict.

 

In June last year, the Appeals Court acquitted Wiwat, giving him the benefit of the doubt. The court said the prosecution had failed to bring the witnesses who had taken the photos and videos of the gunman while in action. 

 

Despite the acquittal, the court ordered that Wiwat remain in detention pending a verdict by the Supreme Court. He did not react on hearing the verdict on Wednesday but did exchange some words with his relatives and lawyer. He was later accompanied by Department of Corrections officials to the Bang Kwang Maximum Security Prison, where he was detained after the lower court’s guilty verdict.

 

His lawyer, Puangthip Boonsanong, said the defence had expected the case against him to be rejected, but they respected the court’s decision. She would later apply for a royal pardon on Wiwat’s behalf, the lawyer added.

 

Lawyer Chokchai Angkaew, who represents the co-plaintiffs who are family members of the gunman’s victims, said that they were satisfied with the imprisonment verdict. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30358122

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-08

[HappyAndRich]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

That looks exactly like the face expression of a person just got 37 years, or maybe he just need to take a dump.

However, Amazing Thailand! From acquittal to 37 years???

[Chang_paarp]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The court was convinced that Wiwat was the masked gunman involved in the 2014 shooting. The court initially sentenced him to life imprisonment but later reduced the jail term to 37 years and four months due to his confession deemed to be beneficial to the trial. The convict appealed against the verdict.

 

 

Pleaded guilty then appealed the verdict?? 

3 hours ago, webfact said:



In June last year, the Appeals Court acquitted Wiwat, giving him the benefit of the doubt. The court said the prosecution had failed to bring the witnesses who had taken the photos and videos of the gunman while in action. 

 

Some powerful friends must have helped with that appeal.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

His lawyer, Puangthip Boonsanong, said the defence had expected the case against him to be rejected, but they respected the court’s decision. She would later apply for a royal pardon on Wiwat’s behalf, the lawyer added.

 

Well the first step of applying for a royal pardon is to plead guilty. Lets see what happens next.

[Bob12345]

2 hours ago, HappyAndRich said:

However, Amazing Thailand! From acquittal to 37 years???

Thats not so strange, you are either found guilty, resulting in a long penalty, or not guilty.

Judges cannot say they have doubts and therefore you are a bit guilty giving you half a sentence.

[lvr181]

17 hours ago, sweatalot said:

how do you know?

 

Normally it is the other side which is well paid by their puppet master

"Normally it is the other side which is well paid by their puppet master"

 

How do you know?

[boonrawdcnx]

That looks exactly like the face expression of a person just got 37 years, or maybe he just need to take a dump.

However, Amazing Thailand! From acquittal to 37 years???

Yes really amazing - acquitted by a court after he confessed to have his sentence reduced in the previous instance!

37 years and he will probably be out in just a few years like so many murderers here.

He should be shot in the stomach and left to die slowly on the street just like what he did to the old man!


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Eric Loh]

13 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

40 years in a Thai prison and he's 37 years old. Don't expect much life after he serves his sentence!

 

Any evidence of who paid him and how much? Or just wild speculation based on personal bias?

Haven't you read that he admitted to the police that he was paid 300 B a day to be the security for PDRC? He was even given an M16 assault rifle from the chief guard which should also be arrested and sentenced but he walk free. You ought to read more before asking me. 

[Artisi]

20 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Only 40 years! Lucky for premeditated murder. Scumbag deserve life. On the bright side, he was well paid by Suthep or Issara. 

of course you are privy to that information, or did you get it from your best friends girl friend's 2nd cousin's house keeper who just happened to be there when payment was made?  

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, Artisi said:

of course you are privy to that information, or did you get it from your best friends girl friend's 2nd cousin's house keeper who just happened to be there when payment was made?  

No. It was public domain information in the mass media of his admission of being paid. You really need to read more if you want to be taken seriously dah. 

[sungod]

Shame they couldn't arrest the red shirts who were up there with guns too,

[Thaiwrath]

"The election was eventually voided by the court, and the military staged a coup three months later in May."

 

 

Therein lies the real crime, but, unfortunately, they go unpunished. 

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, HappyAndRich said:

That looks exactly like the face expression of a person just got 37 years, or maybe he just need to take a dump.

However, Amazing Thailand! From acquittal to 37 years???

A nasty looking yellow!!

[Eric Loh]

29 minutes ago, sungod said:

Shame they couldn't arrest the red shirts who were up there with guns too,

Not according to the police investigation. Both colours were investigated and the police were cleared that evidence collected were enough to implicate popcorn gunman. 

[HappyAndRich]

3 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

Thats not so strange, you are either found guilty, resulting in a long penalty, or not guilty.

Judges cannot say they have doubts and therefore you are a bit guilty giving you half a sentence.

Oooh right! Thanks, I didn´t know that.

[sungod]

13 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Not according to the police investigation. Both colours were investigated and the police were cleared that evidence collected were enough to implicate popcorn gunman. 

Strange, well known and respected journalist Nik Nostitz who also supports the red shirts saw, and stated in print he saw red shirts with guns firing back.

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

No. It was public domain information in the mass media of his admission of being paid. You really need to read more if you want to be taken seriously dah. 

Public domain, so it's really just "hear-say", well that's ok then-it must be true. 

[lvr181]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Not according to the police investigation. Both colours were investigated and the police were cleared that evidence collected were enough to implicate popcorn gunman. 

AKA harvesting only the low hanging fruit. Just so much easier to deal with.