Swede charged after alleged single slap leads to Australian man’s death
Police arrested a Swedish man after he killed an Australian man following a slap in the Patong sub-district, Kathu district, Phuket, on Wednesday, February 25.
A Thai woman called Patong Police Station and sought emergency assistance after her 58 year old Australian boyfriend, Alan Roger Jolliffe, collapsed and suffered a serious head injury after being struck in the face by an attacker. Jolliffe was taken to Patong Hospital, where he later passed at 10.23pm the same day.
The suspect was later identified as a 29 year old Pektas Tugui Tayar, who reportedly holds a Swedish passport. Some Thai news agencies reported he is Turkish, while police have not issued an official clarification on his nationality.
Police reviewed security camera footage at the scene, near the entrance to Soi Siri Land on Prachanukroh Road. The video reportedly showed Jolliffe walking with his Thai girlfriend when the suspect rode past on a black Honda X-ADC 750 motorcycle and sounded his horn at the couple.
The horn reportedly prompted an argument between the two men, which escalated into physical violence. Tayar slapped Jolliffe once in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Police suspect the fatal injury occurred when Jolliffe’s head hit the ground during the fall.
Officers later located the suspect at a hotel in the area and took him to Patong Police Station for questioning. Police said Tayar admitted slapping Jolliffe once, after which the victim collapsed.
Tayar was charged with physical assault causing death, which carries a penalty of three to 15 years in prison according to Section 290 of the Criminal Law. He is being held under detention at the provincial court pending further legal proceedings.
The case follows other reports involving fatal assaults linked to seemingly minor attacks. In January last year, police arrested a former Thai boxer with a mental illness after a security guard died after being punched in Sakon Nakhon province. In that incident, another guard lost consciousness but later recovered.
In a separate case in 2024, another former boxer was arrested in Buriram after killing a colleague with a punch while they were drinking alcohol together.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
