Cambodian homeless man confesses to killing Dutch expat, toddler
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Phnom Penh (dpa) - A 35-year-old vagrant told a Phnom Penh court he stabbed to death a Dutch woman and her baby in April, a news report said Wednesday.
Daphna Beerdsen was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her home in the capital. Her 19-month-old daughter, Dana, died a few days later after being transferred to a Bangkok hospital.
Sole suspect Chea Phin said he attacked Beerdsen, a consultant with the UN, after she caught him trying to steal a bicycle from inside the unlocked front gate of her house, The Cambodia Daily reported.
"If I had not seen a bicycle, I would not have entered," he told the court. "If she had not shouted, it would have been OK."
He said he was drunk and lashed out at Beerdsen with a screwdriver, but did not intend to kill her or her daughter.
Chea Phin was arrested three days after the murders. Police say he was found with the victim's handbag and some personal documents.
A verdict is due on December 24.
