Phuket ‘security guard’ confesses to stabbing murder

PHUKET: A security guard has confessed to the murder of a maid at a workers’ guesthouse in Phuket last night.

Patong Police duty officer Weerapong Rakkito identified the deceased as 39-year-old Nuanchawee Sarating, until the time of her death the maid at a workers’ guesthouse in Kalim.

At about 9:45pm, her body was found face-up outside her room under the four-storey guesthouse, opposite The Lodge resort on Phra Barami Soi 5.

The apparent cause of death was a single stab wound near her left collarbone.

The murder weapon, a 35-centimeter blade, was found nearby along with a necktie matching that worn by the guesthouse security guard Narong Sripetch, age 23.

Mr Narong went on duty at 6pm, but was nowhere to be found after the discovery of the body.

Police investigators proceeded to Mr Narong’s rented flat on Soi Kok Moo (Soi Pig Sty), off Siriraj Road at the south end of Patong.

There they found Mr Narong, along with his bloodied uniform.

Under questioning, Mr Narong said he killed Ms Nuanchawee out of revenge after she admonished him for opening guests’ rooms.

He told police she had no right to do that, and until the murder he had never had any problems with anyone.

However, a check of his criminal record told a very different story. He was released from Surat Thani Prison last month after serving a four-year sentence on a murder conviction in that province.

In addition, there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest issued by Surat Thani Provincial Court on August 16. The charges included breaking and entering, assault and rape.

Despite his criminal background and current fugitive status, he was somehow hired by a local security firm and assigned to work at the guesthouse.

— News editor