Phuket: Thai man sentenced to death for murder of Swiss woman; commuted to life in prison on admission

[webfact]

 

Daily News Caption: Life in prison!

 

The Phuket court handed down the death sentence for "Bangree" who murdered a Swiss woman at the Tone Ao Yon waterfall.

 

However, due to his admission the sentence was commuted to life in prison, reported Daily News.

 

Tuesday's judgment was against Theerawat or Bangfaree or Bangree Thorthip.

 

On August 3rd last year during the day he sexually molested Swiss government official Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf in an attempt to rape her then killed her then put the corpse in plastic to conceal it. 

 

Then he stole 300 baht from a bag she was carrying. 

 

The defendant also admitted to meth and ganja use. 

 

The court said that Bangree had gone to the waterfall to get orchids. 

 

He saw the victim sitting with her feet dangling in the water. She was slim, white, and wearing a singlet and shorts, noted the court.

 

This caused the defendant to become sexually aroused.

 

He got her in a head lock from behind. She resisted and they fell into the water.

 

He continued to attack her as she resisted forcing her head under water. 

 

When she was unconscious he dragged her to the bank and removed her shorts and panties before turning her over.

 

Seeing her face, grotesque in death, the defendant lost sexual interest. Then he got some black plastic that he found and covered the body with that and rocks. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Then he stole 300 baht. 

 

The manner of the attack supported a charge of murder.

 

He was thus given the death sentence that was commuted to life because he admitted what he had done. 

 

The other charges of attempted rape and molestation were set aside.

 

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Mark Sauvain, her husband, and two sons, heard the judgement while in Switzerland via Google Meet. 

 

They thanked the court, prosecutors and police for their work on the case. 

 

They also thanked the Phuket administration for liaising with them. 

 

The murder received international interest at the time, notes ASEAN NOW, not least of all because Phuket had just started its much vaunted "sandbox" program to attract foreign tourists. 

 

Nicole - a sandbox tourist - was reported at the time to be deputy head of protocol of the Swiss Federal Assembly who arrived in Phuket in July last year on a tourist visa. 

 

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[shackleton]

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

[ezzra]

For some heinous crimes such as this one, even the death penalty is too good...

[petermik]

Disgraceful...a cop out...

[sirineou]

Life in a Thai prison is a more severe banishment that death IMO

[prakhonchai nick]

Anyone who murders another human being should die too!

[Excel]

4 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

Doubt it the way this country work. Pardons, heard of them ? Picking mushrooms without permission is considered a far more heinous crime then murder.

[crazykopite]

3 to 5 years and he will be out Life should mean Life

[Scouse123]

4 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

The problem is it isn't much different in jail to the squalor that many of these people live in outside prison

 

The additional bonus is they get fed and also have access to drugs in prison, so in some ways, they just don't give a damn.

 

They also don't have to worry about looking after wives and children such is the shallowness of many Thai criminals.

 

I have seen it first hand and it does not hurt them.

 

 

 

 

 

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

Life in a Thai prison is a more severe banishment that death IMO

Yeah I think if I was a young guy relatively good looking I would rather death than BKK hilton.  You can be he is going to have lot's for friends.

[Chosenfew]

What else has he done in his past?

[Dcheech]

He should be up for parole in a couple years. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

After spending a useless existence on the outside, maybe the thought of being under a roof on the inside, fed and watered daily with medical attention if needed won't come as a hardship.

[RichardColeman]

Bullet to the head. End of. Too much chance of a not 'life sentence' served or escape.

[Nicknoodle]

Probably be out for Songkran due to turning his life around while in prison and becoming a model citizen. 

[vandeventer]

5 hours ago, petermik said:

Disgraceful...a cop out...

This was all about rape but he took the 300 baht anyway. And in the end he couldn't rape her when she was dead. This is one sick dude ,lets hope jail for life means jail for life..

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Anyone who murders another human being should die too!

And h ow many countries that you know of have a death penalty that they use.  All  you have to do is look at the screams and crying about the Aussies that were running drugs and got death in a country that carried it out.

 

There have been many people in my life that I thought deserved death penalties.  

 

Candians will remember Paul Bernardo and Karlo Homolka

The funniest one was jailed in Kingston Max segregation for killing a boy in Toronto.  He got life but decided at one point as he was considered a resident of Kingston that he would run for mayor.

 

Decided against it when he was told that to be mayor he would have to be available to ALL his constituents even the ones in jail with him..

[Clarkey611]

And what did the young lad under the influence in the Fast Car get for murdering a Policeman?

[xtrnuno41]

3 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Anyone who murders another human being should die too!

What you do then about soldiers and police officers? As police officers also kill more and more.

What you do about governments, which order to murder? Like Syria.

Governments which cut down on people so they cant live properly? Like Australia, who let people rot away on an island. Or Eu let people rot away on an island. Or in Yemen where civilian people die on a war.

Do i need to go on?

 

Well see how it goes with the other rich "kid" in Thailand, who murdered a citizen with his car.

Did he already fled the country or is he is custody?

This case is about "Swiss government official", so Thailand doesnt want to loose face.

If it was a nurse or whatever, then no big deal.

Dont get me wrong, it is horrible anyway.

I know a site with movies, you would be upset and cry if you see those movies.

[spidermike007]

Why is it that we never hear about Thai women committing these kinds of heinous acts? 

 

 

[WEBBYB808]

8 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

If he isn't  pardoned  as often is the case 

[WEBBYB808]

If you follow this case in the future say 5 or 10 years, I bet he will end up with a pardon as often is the case.

[WEBBYB808]

32 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

What you do then about soldiers and police officers? As police officers also kill more and more.

What you do about governments, which order to murder? Like Syria.

Governments which cut down on people so they cant live properly? Like Australia, who let people rot away on an island. Or Eu let people rot away on an island. Or in Yemen where civilian people die on a war.

Do i need to go on?

 

Well see how it goes with the other rich "kid" in Thailand, who murdered a citizen with his car.

Did he already fled the country or is he is custody?

This case is about "Swiss government official", so Thailand doesnt want to loose face.

If it was a nurse or whatever, then no big deal.

Dont get me wrong, it is horrible anyway.

I know a site with movies, you would be upset and cry if you see those movies.

You are not far off with your thoughts and the wealthy  may get the same as "The Red Bull" heir...  on the lamb until its too late.  But there should be consequences  for all.

[WEBBYB808]

1 hour ago, Clarkey611 said:

And what did the young lad under the influence in the Fast Car get for murdering a Policeman?

Still under investigation.   Family's  rich and father ex high ranking  police figure... you'll see.

[WEBBYB808]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

This was all about rape but he took the 300 baht anyway. And in the end he couldn't rape her when she was dead. This is one sick dude ,lets hope jail for life means jail for life..

He wont serve life, wait and see.

[4MyEgo]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He saw the victim sitting with her feet dangling in the water. She was slim, white, and wearing a singlet and shorts, noted the court.

 

This caused the defendant to become sexually aroused.

What a load of crock.

 

Next thing they'll be telling us as she dressed this way, it was like offering meat to a dog.

 

RIP, another innocent victim.

 

If I was the husband, I would pay someone in jail to make sure he doesn't see the next daylight, a slow but painful death to ensure. 

 

[Montnoveau]

"Why is it that we never hear about Thai women committing these kinds of heinous acts?" 

 

Maybe Thai women rarely get high on meth.

[Pattaya Spotter]

8 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

A quick death or spending my life in a Thai prison...yep an easy choice.

[RobU]

9 hours ago, shackleton said:

After spending a few years in jail he will be wishing the death penalty was carried out ????

I certainly hope so

[Nkpjed]

Admission of guilt should never be a reason to not carry out the correct punishment. If you commit murder, you deserve execution.  Does anyone really believe this piece of dog <deleted> will spend his life in prison? He’ll probably have a better life in prison than he did on the outside, be out in 5 years, and ready to kill again. Is that what you would want if this was your wife, daughter, or family member?