Man confesses to murder

Police yesterday collected DNA samples from Niwat Jongsuk, 37, a close aide and gardener working for Phayong, 54. The DNA samples will be sent to Songkhla’s Crime Scientific Crime Detection Division. 

Niwat surrendered to police and allegedly confessed that he killed Phayong after learning that the prosecutor, with whom he allegedly had been having a sexual relationship for eight years, was seeing another man. 

Police will today seek court permission to detain him. 

Niwat yesterday re-enacted the crime in Surat Thani under the protection of 100 police officers. In the re-enactment, Niwat unlocked Phayong’s house, and took a pile of rambutan from the pickup into the living room. He then went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. 

He said Phayong was sleeping upstairs and as he was taking his lunch up to the bedroom, he said he heard the phone ring and said he knew the person on the other side of the line was Phayong’s new lover, as he had seen messages they exchanged via Line. 

He said he lost his temper while asking Phayong who the man was and they started arguing. He said Phayong left the bedroom and returned with a stick, and then when they started arguing again, Phayong hit him. He said he defended himself with a fan, then snatched the stick from Phayong and beat him to death. He then removed his bloodstained clothes, put them in a black bag, had a shower and left. He then took a bus to his home town in Phang Nga, ridding himself of the bag on the way, before going to stay with a friend in Lop Buri.