Police successfully arrested a man for murdering his neighbour following a dispute over alleged sexual harassment. The suspect evaded capture for more than a week in the southern province of Songkhla.
The suspect, 43 year old Suthep, fatally shot his neighbour, 45 year old Pongsak, at around 5.20pm on September 4 in Ban Hua Khao community, Singha Nakhon district, Songkhla. He fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Police initially decided not to pursue him, as he was known to always carry a firearm.
The dispute between the two men began after Suthep allegedly sexually harassed Pongsak’s daughter by touching her cheeks. A physical altercation followed, during which Pongsak pulled out a gun.
According to Matichon, Pongsak fired several shots at Suthep, but missed. Suthep then seized the weapon and fatally returned fire.
On September 5, police contacted Suthep’s relatives, urging them to persuade him to surrender, but he refused. Although his family disclosed his hiding place to the officers, he managed to escape by boat.
Yesterday, September 10, police discovered that Suthep returned to his home near the crime scene. Officers raided the property, prompting him to climb onto the roof in a bid to flee.
After more than three hours of negotiation, police arrested Suthep and took him to the station. He was charged under Section 288 of the Criminal Law for intentional murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death, life imprisonment, or a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years.
In a related case, a Thai father was horrified to discover that his close friend had raped his daughter while he and his wife were at work. The assault was uncovered after the couple installed a CCTV camera in their daughter’s bedroom. Fortunately, the parents immediately reported the matter to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
In February, a Thai man was arrested in Chaiyaphum for fatally shooting his friend following repeated assaults on his daughter. The suspect claimed that the victim had attacked his daughter and had secretly met her at her school to assault her.
The story Thai man arrested after murdering neighbour over sexual harassment dispute as seen on Thaiger News.
