Another murder as meatball dispute turns fatal

RASSADA, PHUKET: A dispute between rival meatball (look chin) vendors ended in murder last night when one man slashed the other’s throat and left him lying dead in a pool of his own blood.

The murderer turned himself in to police soon after, claiming that he had acted in self defense.

Phuket City Police Duty Inspector Peeraphan Meemak was informed of the murder at about 9 pm last night.

At the scene, outside a convenience store on Sri Sena Rd in Phuket Town, they found the body of fried meatball vendor Phanom Johprakone lying face down in the middle of the road.

A large crowd had gathered around the corpse by the time police arrived with rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation .

Still firmly clutching a meat cleaver in his right hand, Mr Phanom had suffered fatal slash wounds to the neck and base of his skull.

Mr Phanom, whose age was not reported, was listed as a resident of Rassada Village 7. He was originally from Buriram province.

As police were inspecting the body, a phone call was received on the emergency 191 number from the murderer, who said he wanted to turn himself in.

Not long thereafter, Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit and his team picked up Prasart Poothong at his home, about half a kilometer away from the murder scene, and brought him to Phuket City Police Station for questioning.

According to Mr Prasert, a native of Prachuap Khirikhan province, Mr Phanom became infuriated during a dispute over which of them would be able to sell meatballs at the location in front of the convenience store. Mr Phanom then tried to attack Mr Prasert with the meat cleaver.

Acting in self defense, Prasert picked up a knife and slashed Phanom’s throat before running away.

Prasert said that originally he intended to flee and go into hiding, but that he was persuaded by friends to turn himself in to the police.

He has been charged with non-premeditated murder.

— Source: Siangtai Daily