Former Songkhla PAO mayor sentenced to death for murder

[webfact]

Former Songkhla PAO mayor sentenced to death for murder



BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court has overturned the acquittal verdict by the lower court for the former mayor of Songkhla provincial administration organization and four accomplices charged with the murder of former Songkhla mayor.

Mr Uthit Chuchuey and three other alleged gunmen were found guilty of shooting to death Mr Pira Tantiseranee, former Songkhla mayor, by the Appeals Court and sentenced to death. Uthit’s younger brother, Mr Kitti, was given life imprisonment.

Earlier, the lower court acquitted the five defendants claiming insufficient evidence to convict them as charged.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/former-songkhla-pao-mayor-sentenced-to-death-for-murder


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-30

[Seastallion]

"Earlier, the lower court acquitted the five defendants claiming insufficient evidence to convict them as charged."

Mr Utthit now wants his money back.

[ChrisY1]

Now there'll be yet another appeal with the Supreme Court..........

Difficult to fathom how one court aquits them for lack of evidence........then after appeal, I assume by the prosection, another court sends them to the gallows.!!!

One crazy legal system here!!

[clockman]

He must have upset some really powerful people! This does not happen in Thailand!

[robblok]

Now there'll be yet another appeal with the Supreme Court..........

Difficult to fathom how one court aquits them for lack of evidence........then after appeal, I assume by the prosection, another court sends them to the gallows.!!!

One crazy legal system here!!

No that really happens nowhere else in the world, just look at the USA and death-row inmates that get set free after years. All over the world stuff like this happens. It might happen here more (have yet to see hard facts and proof for that) but facts never seem to bother the Thai haters. Every bit of news is used to voice their displeasure about Thais and they still live here.. go figure.

[fred Kubasa]

" Innocent' or maybe ? " Guilty" until new appeals launched or " confessed so sentence reduced to 1 week !"

[Baerboxer]

Now there'll be yet another appeal with the Supreme Court..........

Difficult to fathom how one court aquits them for lack of evidence........then after appeal, I assume by the prosection, another court sends them to the gallows.!!!

One crazy legal system here!!

No that really happens nowhere else in the world, just look at the USA and death-row inmates that get set free after years. All over the world stuff like this happens. It might happen here more (have yet to see hard facts and proof for that) but facts never seem to bother the Thai haters. Every bit of news is used to voice their displeasure about Thais and they still live here.. go figure.

Convictions of innocent people, even executions of innocents, has happened in lots of countries for sure.

But what is more unique here is the amount of times a higher court reverses the decision of the lower court on appeal with seemingly no new evidence.

It suggests a high degree of inconsistency - or some "other factor" at work.

[robblok]

Now there'll be yet another appeal with the Supreme Court..........

Difficult to fathom how one court aquits them for lack of evidence........then after appeal, I assume by the prosection, another court sends them to the gallows.!!!

One crazy legal system here!!

No that really happens nowhere else in the world, just look at the USA and death-row inmates that get set free after years. All over the world stuff like this happens. It might happen here more (have yet to see hard facts and proof for that) but facts never seem to bother the Thai haters. Every bit of news is used to voice their displeasure about Thais and they still live here.. go figure.

Convictions of innocent people, even executions of innocents, has happened in lots of countries for sure.

But what is more unique here is the amount of times a higher court reverses the decision of the lower court on appeal with seemingly no new evidence.

It suggests a high degree of inconsistency - or some "other factor" at work.

True.. but what I am saying is that its not as bad as people like to make out. Sure there is more corruption here but it is not like everything is based on it. It could be a real decision based on evidence. Some people act like everything in Thailand is wrong and so on.

Thing is we were not in the court cases we don't know what evidence was brought in the original case and what was brought in the higher case. A friend of mine who was a cop in the Netherlands told me how often the newspapers (in the Netherlands) were dead wrong in describing stuff where he was involved just to make a good article.

So unless we studied a case good ourselves we can't really judge its all to easy to blame Thais and Thailand of all that is wrong while it may not be so.

And sure I accept that there is corruption.. and that more goes wrong as in other countries but not as much as some people like to make out and other countries are not perfect either.

[Ulic]

With the usual conviction resulting in 500baht fines and suspended sentences

(except drug convictions) it is easy to forget that the death penalty is on the table

here. Of course the well connected rarely receive any significant penalty. Theses

guys where obviously not high enough on the food chain or it has been decided

there is more to shake from there pockets.

[spidermike007]

Let us hope the death penalties get carried out, if indeed these were the real perps. Excellent result. The death penalty can be a beautiful thing. It refreshes the air and does not bog the system down, by incarcerating a pig for life.