Man jumps to death as son’s alleged killer is acquitted

A FATHER jumped to his death from the eighth floor of the Criminal Court building in Bangkok yesterday after the sole defendant in the murder of his son was acquitted. 
Supachai Kanlahasunthorn, 52, broke into tears when the court announced it would give the benefit of the doubt to Nattapong Ngern-khiri. 
Nattapong had been charged with the fatal stabbing of Supachai’s son on Prachasongkroh Road in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district on April 15, 2016.
After leaving the courtroom at about 10am yesterday, Supachai climbed through a hall window onto a terrace on the eighth floor of the court building and jumped to his death in the court officials’ car park.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Chanthep Sesavej said Supachai’s wife told him that stress and disappointment had led to the suicide. 
The man’s sister-in-law rushed downstairs and found the body. She said her slain nephew had not received justice, prompting her sister’s husband to commit suicide. 
The Criminal Court acquitted Nattapong yesterday after a key witness to the crime was unable to testify due to ongoing psychiatric treatment. 
During police interrogation, the witness said he saw what happened but he failed to show up in court. 
“Other pieces of evidence are not solid enough. Recordings from CCTV did not show the stabbing. They show only what happened at the mouth of the soi where the crime occurred,” Court of Justice spokesman Suriyan Hongwilai said. 
He said it was the duty of judges to rule based on evidence, free from pressure and prejudices. 
“But the verdict is still from the court of primary instance. Plaintiffs can still appeal,” Suriyan said. 
Chanthep said he would look into the investigation report that was compiled by the Din Daeng police station. 
“I will check whether it contains any flaw and whether it can be improved,” he said.