Beach attack on American was self-defence, says Phuket teen

PHUKET: A Phuket teenager has claimed that he hit an American on the head with a piece of wood on Karon Beach on Saturday in self-defence.

CCTV cameras captured images of Kitti Keeratiwattananusat, 18, in the area at the estimated time of the attack, making him a prime suspect.

Police asked Kata-Karon Subdistrict Chief (Kamnan) Winai Chidchiew to talk to the teen’s parents, who convinced Mr Kitti to surrender to the Karon Police yesterday afternoon.

“I was fishing with a relative at Nong Harn, when I saw the foreigner trying to get his bike out of the sand, but it was stuck,” Mr Kitti said.

“I went to help him, but he was drunk and hit me. He then grabbed a piece of wood and came at me.

“So I kicked him in the arm, took the piece of wood and hit him once on the head.”

Mr Kitti explained that he walked away from American Jonathan Mark Lemley, 28, convinced that he wasn’t seriously injured.

Joggers found Mr Lemley unconscious on the sand with head injuries (story here).

Mr Kitti was charged for assault causing grievous bodily harm, Maj Ason Jiraksa of the Karon Police told the Phuket Gazette.

Police had Mr Kitti re-enact the incident this morning.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong