Man murders cousin after being bullied about his disability

A disabled man murdered his able-bodied cousin after he repeatedly bullied him about his disability. The accused stated that he did not intend to kill his cousin but only wanted him to experience the same pain and suffering that he had been enduring due to his disability.

The 62 year old victim, Somjit Wimonmueng, was shot dead in the early hours of Tuesday morning while working in a rubber plantation in the southern province of Trang. He had two shot wounds, one in his back and one to his bottom.

ThaiRath reported that Somjit was shot twice while he was working at the plantation. He attempted to flee the scene to seek help but fell and died on the nearby road.

After questioning witnesses and Somjit’s family, officers from Huay Yot Police Station discovered that the gunman was Somjit’s cousin, identified as 42 year old Thaweesak Singmanee. Thaweesak was arrested on Wednesday at his house near the incident scene.

During questioning, Thaweesak admitted to his actions and explained that he wanted revenge on Somjit for bullying him about his disability in public. He said he did not intend to kill his cousin, he only wanted to disable him. He targeted Somjit’s leg and shot him with a shotgun twice. However, the shots hit Somjit in the back and bottom.

Thaweesak’s father was interviewed by ThaiRath and revealed that his son had been bullied for his disability since childhood. He said his son never revealed a plan to attack Somjit but believed that the final straw that led to the shooting was an insult about Thaweesak’s disability and a new relationship.

His father revealed that Thaweesak had two children and was divorced from his wife but recently embarked on a new relationship. Before the incident, Somjit insulted Thaweesak by saying…

“Why do you dare to have a new girl when your leg is very weak and you can’t do anything like others.”

Thaweesak has been charged with intentional murder under Section 288 of the Criminal Law. He could face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of up to 15 to 20 years. He was also charged with bringing weapons into public places without reasonable reasons which carries a fine of up to 100 baht.

The father added that he understood his son but would not bail him out, adding he needs to be punished for what he had done.