Court sends taxi driver to 25 years in jail and Bt50 fine

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court sentenced on Thursday a taxi driver who seriously injured an IBM employee during a holdup in October to 25 years in jail and a Bt50 fine.

The 41-year-old cabbie Worapol Sirichai - charged with attempted murder and armed robbery - was at first handed a life sentence plus a Bt100 in fine. But during his confession, he claimed he needed Bt20,000 to repay a footballing debt or he would be assaulted by debt collectors.

This prompted the court to half his sentence to 25 years and a Bt50 fine.

On October 5 last year, Worapol picked up Panneerat Chinbuathong, a 24-year-old IBM worker to take her to Pathum Thani. While they were at an Asoke-Din Daeng traffic light intersection, Worapol threatened Panneerat at knife point and demanded her handbag. She refused, so he stabbed her twice in the chest.

Panneerat managed to get out of the car and call for help.

Worapol fled the scene and was later arrested on October 9 at a relative's home in Nakhon Ratchasima.

-- The Nation 2007-06-09

Hope he can pay the fine so he doesn't get any longer jail-time...

Quite unbelievable

The 41-year-old cabbie Worapol Sirichai - charged with attempted murder and armed robbery - was at first handed a life sentence plus a Bt100 in fine. But during his confession, he claimed he needed Bt20,000 to repay a footballing debt or he would be assaulted by debt collectors

So that makes it ok then? Half the sentence and fine for stabbing an innocent passenger just because debt collectors might beat him up!!!!

Even the original fine is pitifully low

he has to pay fifty baht and will go to jail for 25 years?

Forget the fine. How much of the 25 years will he actually serve?

Peter

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court sentenced on Thursday a taxi driver who seriously injured an IBM employee during a holdup in October to 25 years in jail and a Bt50 fine.

Lucky it wasn't Politician or else the verdict would have read.............. "to 25 years in jail OR a Bt50 fine"

I wouldn't be so harsh on the Thais. Thai prisons are no picnic, and as he is a taxi driver he will likely do many years behind bars. He might have gotten far less in some US states or even Europe. Just one example: In the US a preacher's wife shot him in the back with a shotgun not long ago. Her defense, which was pretty much unsupported, was that he was abusive and made here do 'icky' things in bed. That sounds even weaker than the taxi driver's excuse. She will likely be out in 60 days according to CNN, and may get custody of her kids too. We now know thanks to the Paris Hilton case that many people in CA are only serving 10% of their sentences, if they even serve any time, due to overcrowding.

Sounds a bit unfair. The judge should definitely reduce that fine to 25baht. I'm sick of these hang 'em judges.

"was at first handed a life sentence plus a Bt100 in fine. But during his confession, he claimed he needed Bt20,000 to repay a footballing debt or he would be assaulted by debt collectors."

Well if he had claimed far larger gambling debt would this have resulted in a further reduction in sentence. How many more people will now claim gambling debts as mitigating circumstances ?

"was at first handed a life sentence plus a Bt100 in fine. But during his confession, he claimed he needed Bt20,000 to repay a footballing debt or he would be assaulted by debt collectors."

Well if he had claimed far larger gambling debt would this have resulted in a further reduction in sentence. How many more people will now claim gambling debts as mitigating circumstances ?

this has got to be a joke,only in thailand,if i were a reporter i would'nt put my name to a story like this even if i knew it were true ,unbelievable..

I suspect that the fine was reduced from 100k to 50k. The Nation's proof-readers may have messed-up as usual.