Thai man claims gun fires accidentally and hits pregnant wife
A Thai man shot his pregnant wife at a house in Bo Phut, Koh Samui, and claimed that the gun discharged accidentally while he was attempting to take his own life.
Officers from Bo Phut Police Station investigated the shooting at a single-storey house in Bo Phut subdistrict, Koh Samui district, Surat Thani, yesterday, March 31. The incident occurred in the couple’s bedroom, where officers reported finding a significant amount of blood on the bed.
The injured victim, 31 year old Phattra, was taken to the hospital before police arrived. She was shot in the eye and remained in critical condition. She was four months pregnant. There was no report on the impacts of the shooting on her pregnancy.
The suspected gunman was her husband, 31 year old Wisut, who fled the scene after the shooting. Investigators tracked down Wisut and arrested him about two hours later near the house. Police seized a firearm loaded with six bullets.
Wisut told police he and his wife had argued over jealousy before the shooting. He said Phattra accused him of having sex with someone else.
He claimed he then pulled out the gun and pointed it at his head, threatening to kill himself. His wife tried to grab the gun, causing the firearm to accidentally discharge and strike her in the eye.
Wisut said he ran from the house in shock and hid near the property until police arrested him. He said he did not intend to shoot his wife and expressed regret, adding that he hoped his wife and unborn child would be safe.
Despite his claim that the shooting was unintentional, police charged him with attempted murder. The offence carries half the punishment for intentional murder under Section 288 of the Criminal Law. For intentional murder, penalties include the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of 15 to 20 years.
Police also charged him with possessing a firearm without a permit under the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearm.
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