Udon police arrest Swiss expat who killed armed intruder at his home

[JonnyF]

10 minutes ago, robblok said:

I think your making too much of it, the Swiss should be arrested. They do the same in my country arrest and then investigate and if self defense your cleared. 

 

If it went as the Swiss guy said its a clear case of self defense.

 

The police just has to check the story the one thing that is most important is to make sure who the owner of the gun is. That could change the whole story. 

 

I don't think tying him up is odd, but the gun in the pond is strange. Why after the guy is tied up why throw the gun away.

Unless the intruder was shot, it doesn't really matter whose gun it is since according to the story it wasn't used. With or without a gun, the intruder deserves whatever he gets if he breaks into the house of someone's wife that he is interested in romantically in the middle of the night.

 

If I was the Swiss guy and I had tied him up I probably wouldn't leave the gun on the table next to him either. I don't have that much experience tying people up securely so I'd throw it somewhere it couldn't easily be retrieved if the guy woke up and wriggled free. Certainly somewhere outside the house where it couldn't be seen by the intruder if he fled. If I was hyped/panicking after a fight with an intruder I might throw it in a pond just to be sure it couldn't be retrieved, who knows what was going through his mind after a life threatening fight? Unless they sent divers in there on the off chance there was a weapon in there it's likely the Swiss guy told them exactly where he threw it so it's unlikely he's hiding anything.

 

To be honest, he's probably safer in custody for now - as long as they don't put him in the same cell as Joe Ferrari and a plastic bag full of snacks from 711.

[khunPer]

Based on what I read in the news story, the Swiss man seems like a kind of hero, and also telling the truth, and not trying to escape. But then comes the wife's statement, perhaps there are more to the story than what reached the news...????

[CFCjeff]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Seriously, prospective tourists read Thai newspapers before booking a trip to Udon?

I'll get the papers, papers.

[robblok]

Just now, JonnyF said:

Unless the intruder was shot, it doesn't really matter whose gun it is since according to the story it wasn't used. With or without a gun, the intruder deserves whatever he gets if he breaks into the house of someone's wife that he is interested in romantically in the middle of the night.

 

If I was the Swiss guy and I had tied him up I probably wouldn't leave the gun on the table next to him either. I don't have that much experience tying people up securely so I'd throw it somewhere it couldn't easily be retrieved if the guy woke up and wriggled free. Certainly somewhere outside the house where it couldn't be seen by the intruder if he fled. If I was hyped/panicking after a fight with an intruder I might throw it in a pond just to be sure it couldn't be retrieved, who knows what was going through his mind after a life threatening fight? Unless they sent divers in there on the off chance there was a weapon in there it's likely the Swiss guy told them exactly where he threw it so it's unlikely he's hiding anything.

 

To be honest, he's probably safer in custody for now - as long as they don't put him in the same cell as Joe Ferrari and a plastic bag full of snacks from 711.

I disagree, if the gun was from the Swiss his whole story is in doubt. So its important to establish the facts. If all things check out id say the Swiss has nothing to worry about. 

 

The gun is also important because in most countries there is such a things as proportionate violence. If the guy had a gun and you bare hands and kill him its proportionate for sure. If the gun was in the hands of the Swiss and the guy ends up dead it was not. So it is important to make sure things are like the Swiss man said they were.

 

But assuming the story is true then i see it as self defense. 

[MRToMRT]

Oh dear ... how do you see the truth when ....

 

a) can't trust media

b) can't trust police

c) can't trust wife who parties and knows both fighting parties

d) can't trust Swiss guy as he is obviously an invalid party

e) don't know any background of either "relationship"

 

 

[Longwood50]

There is an interesting twist here with the wife apparently knowing the man.  it does make you wonder if this was truly a robbery or a suitor of the wife looking to do bodily harm to the husband.  In any event if this man did indeed scale the fence, enter with a gun for whatever purpose the Swiss man was totally within his rights to defend himself and like any person involved in a criminal act, they bear the consequences for what happens to them during the commission of the crime. 

[richard_smith237]

26 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

That's based on what the Swiss guy and his wife told the police. It might be true but the things that strikes me as odd are

 

1) The intruder knew the wife and wanted to initiate a relationship (according to her)

Why is that strange... Guys still hit on my Wife she’s 43. 

 

It seems like the Swiss-Thai couple have a healthy relationship, she was enjoying some time with her friends. 

There is nothing strange about that either. 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

2) The intruder was tied up and he subsequently died (according to Swiss guy)

Smacked his head in the fight and was knocked unconscious...  the Swiss guy tied him up before he regained consciousness. He never did, died of the head injury ??  pure conjecture of course, but it would appear that this is what happened if the Swiss mans story is correct. 

 

26 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

Something stinks...

Nothing in the story seems too far fetched or stinks...

 

 

[Gecko123]

Sounds like the Thai guy's past romantic overtures to the Swiss guy's wife have sent up a major red flag with the police. Possible scuttlebutt in the neighborhood about hanky panky or marital discord or infidelity may be causing the police to keep all avenues of investigation wide open. Forensics, and autopsy (including toxicology) need to come in to see if injuries are consistent with Swiss guy's account of what happened, and to find out what actually caused the guy's death (drugs, alcohol, underlying medical condition?). The charging of the Swiss guy could even be a ploy to throw the wife off so she doesn't realize she's being investigated, that is, if the police suspect her involvement.

 

There's no way the Swiss guy's going to be sent to prison if the investigation supports his version of events. Self-defense is a completely viable defense in Thailand, and there is no reason to think that it would not apply here if the investigation fails to turn up any evidence that undermines this defense.

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Gecko123

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, Longwood50 said:

There is an interesting twist here with the wife apparently knowing the man. 

Not really... in a small community most people probably know most others. 

 

 

1 minute ago, Longwood50 said:

it does make you wonder if this was truly a robbery or a suitor of the wife looking to do bodily harm to the husband. 

Combination of both...  the Thai guy fancied the Wife, also was disparaged for money and thinks the ‘farang is rich’....  There’s no telling what goes through the mind of a desperate person. 

 

1 minute ago, Longwood50 said:

In any event if this man did indeed scale the fence, enter with a gun for whatever purpose the Swiss man was totally within his rights to defend himself and like any person involved in a criminal act, they bear the consequences for what happens to them during the commission of the crime. 

If this is what happened...   Can they prove gun ownership?  the gun looks beaten up and old, I wonder if it was even registered. 

 

At the very least they should have the guys phone and the wife phone - just to eradicate the possibility of impropriety. 

 

 

 

[yogi yogi]

Just now, keith101 said:

If he is charged with a crime causing death in defending himself then it will another reason for tourists to stay away and all expats to be wary of defending themselves .

no charges would be filed if the swiss guy let the robber kill him

[dddave]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

when you are attacked in your own home with a gun weilding robber you are entitled to defend yourself, in any other country it would be recognised as self defence, if a thai had done it, it would also be looked at as self defence but because a farang that was 10 years older than the robber did it he is being charged, really shows the anti farang views/laws they have here. 

 

I know of no country in the Western world where the cops would just unilaterally declare "Self-defense" and walk away.  There would be some sort of police investigation and judicial process determining the merits of the self-defense claim.

If a case such as this, with no corroborating witnesses and suspicious cause of death along with knowledge of some form of relationship between the Swiss man's wife and the deceased, the police are certainly within their jurisdiction to detain the Swiss person while they fact-find.

[Chris.B]

28 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Sounds like an alcoholic. 

 

I wonder where a Swiss man finds a rural Isarn woman? 

Maybe in the shopping centre or in a cafe? 

 

[BostonRob2]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

when you are attacked in your own home with a gun weilding robber you are entitled to defend yourself, in any other country it would be recognised as self defence, if a thai had done it, it would also be looked at as self defence but because a farang that was 10 years older than the robber did it he is being charged, really shows the anti farang views/laws they have here. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(farmer)

 

This might give you some perspective. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, BostonRob2 said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(farmer)

 

This might give you some perspective. 

No, he was convicted because he shot a burglar in the back as he was running away and the court felt he should have let the burglar escape and there was no need to shoot him 

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Maybe in the shopping centre or in a cafe? 

 

Possible, but more likely not. 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, WorriedNoodle said:

An investigation is needed. For all we know the burglar and wife could have been in cahoots?

For all we know it's just as likely that they weren't "in cahoots".

[richard_smith237]

37 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Sounds like an alcoholic. 

 

I wonder where a Swiss man finds a rural Isarn woman? 

Quite the leap there.... 

 

Going out with friends is now alcoholism ????

 

There are plenty of females (and males) from Isarn working all over Thailand and internationally in a whole range of careers ranging from higher end positions to factory workers and fruit pickers.

 

 

But... reading between the lines... are you accusing the Thai Wife of being an ex ho because she is from rural Isarn and now with a foreigner ?

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by richard_smith237

[Neeranam]

21 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

need to come in to see if injuries are consistent with Swiss guy's account of what happened, a

Probably looking at ways to empty his accounts. 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, finnsk said:

Royal thai police arrest swiss farrang making selfdefence in his own house.

So now we can not defend our self in our own houses against armed thai robbers.

"So now we can not defend our self in our own houses against armed thai robbers".

Where was that stated, there is an investigation going on, isn't there?   

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Quite the leap there.... 

 

Going out with friends is now alcoholism ????

 

There are plenty of females (and males) from Isarn working all over Thailand and internationally in a whole range of careers ranging from higher end positions to factory workers and fruit pickers.

 

 

But... reading between the lines... are you accusing the Thai Wife of being an ex ho because she is from rural Isarn and now with a foreigner ?

 

 

 

I've lived in isarn for decades, and met lots of pensioners with local gfs. 

Low %age are normal relationships with professionals. 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, club said:

What would happened to a Thai intruder with a loaded gun breaking into a Thai policeman's house? The Thai intruder would be shot dead with no questions asked. As it should be 

Shot dead with no questions asked?    What do you base that on?

Edited October 4, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[steven100]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Combination of both...  the Thai guy fancied the Wife, also was disparaged for money and thinks the ‘farang is rich’....  There’s no telling what goes through the mind of a desperate person.

agree ......  and was the wife in cohoots on the scheme ........  if so she conspired to commit murder and/or crime.

how does one sleep through a fight and gunshot noises. 

[Rampant Rabbit]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The second is that the foreigner will face charges of inflicting bodily harm causing death.

Pathetic

[Saanim]

45 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I wonder where a Swiss man finds a rural Isarn woman? 

The answer would not be so difficult for many members here, would it?

[RichardColeman]

So, does this mean now that any woman that kills her rapist during a rape will now be arrested and charged with inflicting harm and death ? Because that is the logical conclusion of this craziness !

 

Absolutely ridiculous

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

So, does this mean now that any woman that kills her rapist during a rape will now be arrested and charged with inflicting harm and death ? Because that is the logical conclusion of this craziness !

 

Absolutely ridiculous

No , it doesn't mean that . 

[club]

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Shot dead with no questions asked?    What do you base that on?

Common sense in almost any country except this one 

[Gecko123]

Police may be posturing in front of the media to a certain degree. Keep in mind this is coming on the heels of a nationally publicized rape and attempted sexual assault case involving a foreigner in Isaan just three days ago. The nation's nerves are shot from the widespread flooding as well.

 

I thought the Swiss guy and his wife came across as forthright and credible in the Thairath "reenactment" video. Was particularly impressed with Swiss guy's unhesitating physical re-enactment of how he managed to disarm the assailant. He displayed lightning fast reflexes (despite being in handcuffs), his movements appeared to be adrenaline charged, and he appeared to be reliving the experience  during the re-enactment of how he disarmed the guy, all of which, to my mind, bolstered the credibility of his story.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Gecko123

[Mac Mickmanus]

Could be that the Swiss guy came home early unexpectedly and the deceased was already there ?

[MasterBaker]

i remember the case few years ago when Thai man shot Thai intruder in his house and was released. i guess it's too much to ask to apply the same to dirty farang