Suspected burglar killed in fight with home owner

Muang Nonthaburi police were alerted to the incident at a three-storey townhouse on Soi Ngam Wong Wan 18 in Tambon Bang Khen of Nonthaburi's Muang district.
Songwut Punnaratkul, 23, a masters-degree student at Bangkok University, told police that he unintentionally killed the intruder during a struggle.
Songwut's father Saharat Punnaratkul, 56, who lives in Saraburi, bought the townhouse for Songwut and his daughter to live on weekends when they come to Bangkok to study for their master degree.
Songwut told police that this week he travelled alone to the house and when he entered the house he found it has been ransacked.
When he checked his bedroom on the second floor he found it was locked from the inside. When he unlocked it with his key he found the suspect on his bed with a knife beside him.
Songwut said he grabbed the knife and the suspect woke up. They fought and struggled into the stairway and the suspect fell down the stairs.
Songwut said he feared the thief would grab a knife from the kitchen so he rushed downstairs and got the suspect in a headlock until he stopped moving.
He initially thought the suspected was only unconscious but it turned out he was dead.
Songwut said he called his father when he first realised the house had been broken into and he left his phone line open so his father could hear what was happening as he drover from Saraburi.
His father called police when he arrived.
The suspect has yet to be identified.
Police said further investigation will be made to determine if charges will be made.