Thai Court sentences former senior police doctor to death for murder of Myanmar worker

[webfact]

Phetburi Court sentences former senior police doctor to death for murder of Myanmar worker



BANGKOK: -- The Phetchaburi Provincial Court today sentenced a former senior police doctor and his son to death and another son to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of a murder conspiracy of one of their Myanmar employees.

The death sentence was handed down on the former police doctor Pol Col Supat Laohawatana in absentia, and his son Ake.

His two sons, Ake and Akara, appeared in the court room to hear the court’s ruling in the murder case in which their father Pol Col Supat was accused by two of his former Myanmar employees, identified as Kala and Yong, of killing a Myanmar worker identified as Itar, and had his body buried in his orchard range in Tha Yarng district of Phetburi province.

With the substantial evidence obtained after the skeleton of the Myanmar workers was exhumed from the burial in the orchard, and the testimonies of his two former workers, the court sentenced Pol Col Supat and his son Ake to death.

However as another son Akara was an underaged youth at the time of the murder, the court commuted his life sentence to 25 years and three months in prison instead.

After the verdict was read this morning, both sons were seeking bails from the court and would appeal the ruling.

Pol Col Supat is still at large.

Pol Col Supat was also accused of murdering a Thai couple Samart Noomjui and Orasa Kerdsap, who had been missing since 2009.

Earlier Pol Col Supat’s former Myanmar employees have accused him of killing two Myanmar workers at his 40-rai pineapple orchard in Phetchaburi’s Tha Yang district.

Three skeletons dug up by police at Pol Col Supat’s orchard were examined at Central Institute of Forensic Science and two were identified as males.

The gender of the third skeleton was not known.

Two of the skeletons showed signs of having been shot.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/phetburi-court-sentences-former-senior-police-doctor-to-death-for-murder-of-myanmar-worker

-- Thai PBS 2015-05-01

[seajae]

father on the run and the sons want bail, that figures, wonder if the courts give it to them, if they are wealthy enough it will be a forgone conclusion then they can meet up with "dad". The property should be siezed along with their wealth to stop them utilizing it to get away

[Thaddeus]

Can we have the execution shown live on T.V. just so we know that it happened.

Thought not.

[johncat1]

Why hand down a death penalty if they do not intend to carry it out ?

They have been convicted of murder how can they be freed on bail pending an appeal ?

They should be kept in prison while they await their appeal hearing. That is how it works in every other country. ......But hey TIT where money is the only language the law understands. So of course they will be given bail if they pay enough....Money talks

[clockman]

Thainess, farang not understand! The whole law system needs to scrapped, same as many institutions.

[Usual Suspect]

This court ruling is not some kind of gesture towards Myanmar is it..

...there, we've caught the suspects who killed your fellow countrymen...

...oh by the way, hope there's no bad feelings now when we shoot the 2 myanmar youths based on our evidence from K/T police.

[Patje55]

[ezzra]

The ' Do no harm' oath doctors take when they become one, probably has different meaning in Thailand,

it's like do no harm unless it's a Burmese or a person no one is going to miss anyway....

[Pattaya28]

If they get bail, surely a "disappearing act" will happen.

Or am I on another planet ?

[KarenBravo]

They can't tell the sex of a skeleton?

A first year biology student could do it by looking at the pelvis and/or eye-brow ridges.

Total incompetence by someone that probably bought their degree. This is what happens when no one is allowed to fail in school.

[ChrisY1]

If they get bail, surely a "disappearing act" will happen.

Or am I on another planet ?

It sure seems like another planet sometimes......

[Shiver]

What happens if you plead guilty to get half off where a death sentence is concerned? Only half 'killed to death'?

Thai is the #2 language though, with money being #1. I mean that in a half serious way. They could seize all his assets and put that to good use like upgrading an A&E ward in a hospital or something, and facilitate others to save a lot more lives. It doesn't bring back the victims, so they'll never see justice, but if he prefers a life sentence along with asset forfeiture that could be a bargaining tool with value to society. After all as they say "you can't take it with you".

[Nick167]

Ah ! Another criminal from the thai police force....whats new?

[wabothai]

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If they get bail, surely a "disappearing act" will happen.

Or am I on another planet ?

yes

[issanaus]

Ah ! Another criminal from the thai police force....whats new?

New - this one has not been sent to an inactive post - unless they plan to use a firing squad!

[worgeordie]

So the good Dr.will either be in Cambodia,or just living in his home,

its been done.

regards Worgeordie

[Pib]

They all be out within 10 years after some sentence reductions, time for good behavior, and maybe even a govt pardon.

[razer]

Pol Col Supat Laohawatana..... Gone?

Issue an international arrest warrant. He is probably living well on his overseas stash.

[jvs]

Very good thing the courts found them guilty and sentenced them.As for all of the speculation?Not so long ago these people would have never gone to court.

There is hope.

[Happy Grumpy]

Why hand down a death penalty if they do not intend to carry it out ?

They have been convicted of murder how can they be freed on bail pending an appeal ?

Not been here long, eh.

[rametindallas]

Ah ! Another criminal from the thai police force....whats new?

I sometimes wonder; who is more untouchable in Thailand, a monk or a policeman? Just don't pick mushrooms in a national forest.

[cookee68]

this story is just a waste of reading time, as we all know the out come

[metisdead]

An off topic deflection post has been removed.

[djjamie]

I hope they don't get bail.

(I hope this comment doesn't break any forum rules)

[LNKDES1]

father on the run and the sons want bail, that figures, wonder if the courts give it to them, if they are wealthy enough it will be a forgone conclusion then they can meet up with "dad". The property should be siezed along with their wealth to stop them utilizing it to get away

Probably too late to seize the funds. Remember how things work here?

[Lite Beer]

Police doctor, son get death sentence over concealed slaying
THE NATION

PHETCHABURI Court yesterday sentenced to death a police doctor and his adult son for killing a Myanmar worker and burying his body at the doctor's ranch five years ago.

Another son of Colonel Dr Suphat Laohawatthana has been sentenced to a prison term of 25 years and three months, as he was a minor at the time of the crimes.

The judges issued an arrest warrant for Suphat, who fled after being released on bail. He was last seen in Cambodia.

Reading out the details of the verdict, the judges said Suphat shot and killed the worker out of anger over his having an affair with his third wife. The doctor's sons Ek, who received the death penalty, and Akkhara witnessed the murder.

Convicted for conspiring

Suphat and his sons were convicted of conspiring to commit a premeditated murder and jointly trying to conceal their crime by hiding the body.

The court last year sentenced in absentia Suphat and Wilsa Jantharabanchorn to eight years and 33 months in jail for human trafficking and ordered them jointly to pay Bt1 million to three Myanmar workers who won civil lawsuits against them. Suphat and Wilsa were released on a bail guarantee of Bt750,000.

Suphat enslaved a number of Myanmar workers and forced them to work without pay for years.

He was also convicted of attempted murder yesterday for trying to kill another Myanmar worker. He shot the worker in the head and mouth, but the worker escaped and later filed a complaint with police together with another Myanmar worker who escaped Suphat's ranch.

The court in late 2013 sentenced Suphat to a five-year jail term and Wilsa to three years and four months for theft, after police found a stolen pickup truck at Suphat's home in Nonthaburi.

The vehicle belonged to a man and his wife who went missing three years prior. Police began searching for them after their parents filed a complaint.

Phetchaburi Court postponed two sessions to read out the verdicts in this matter after Suphat said he was not able to attend them.

The judges seized the Bt300,000 he deposited as a guarantee in his theft trial and a Bt3-million guarantee for his murder trial.

Police have not located the owners of the pickup, Samart Numjui and Orara Kersab, and have not been able to identify two skeletons dug up at Suphat's ranch.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-doctor-son-get-death-sentence-over-conceale-30259195.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-02

[BSJ]

" to eight years and 33 months" I would like to explain the new system of counting prison time.....but unfortunately I am at a loss to explain it.

[Dannyboy666]

The ' Do no harm' oath doctors take when they become one, probably has different meaning in Thailand,

it's like do no harm unless it's a Burmese or a person no one is going to miss anyway....

Same as The Doctors in ISIS, What Oath...

[apetley]

Is it not time that the law was changed so that bail is no longer allowed in murder cases?

[surfinglife]

But the bloke did s%g his wife! No sympathy from the judge?