Military school owner gets death sentence for student’s fatal beating

The owner of a private military school in Nakhon Sawan province, about 237 kilometres north of Bangkok, has been sentenced to death, and his wife and mother-in-law to life in prison, for the fatal beating of a 15 year old student.

The provincial court handed down its judgement on Tuesday, ordering capital punishment for Natthaphol Thavornphibun, the owner of Ban Phi Nat tutorial school in tambon Wat Sai of the province’s Muang district. The same court sentenced his wife Phiraya Phalasaen, and mother in law Nonglak Phalasaen, to life imprisonment for colluding in the physical abuse, as they were present during the fatal beating.

28 year old Natthaphol admitted hitting 15 year old student Thapakorn “Nong Chaidaen’’ Sapsin, with a baseball bat at least 20 times in June last year at his cadet school.

The beating caused massive injuries, including a torn pancreas, which resulted in the boy’s death in hospital 2 days later. Theinjuries on his body indicated he had been struck with a blunt object on his back and legs. Natthaphol said he beat Thapakorn as punishment for swearing at his mother in law for refusing to return the boy’s mobile phone when he asked for it.

During interrogation, Natthaphol had denied murdering the boy, saying he had no intention of killing him, only to punish him, as a teacher punishes a student. The court said the evidence clearly showed Natthapol’s wrongdoing. He did not repent his action and continued denying the charges. Thus the court handed down the death sentence. The defendants have 30 days to appeal.

The dead boy’s parents, Phitsanu and Suwanna Sapsin, were satisfied with the judgment, saying that while the court administered justice for Nong Chaidaen, they still hurt, as Nong Chaidaen was their only child.

As June 12 will be the first anniversary of their son’s death, they will move his body from Somdetphrajaotaksin Maharaj Hospital to a temple in Tak province for funeral rites.

Death penalties are rarely carried out in Thailand. Only three people have been executed in Thailand in the past 18 years, the last two by lethal injection.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post