General News - Saturday December 22, 2007
AYUTTHAYA
Pair given 25 years in jail for rock-throwingattack, robbery
The Ayutthaya Provincial Court yesterday sentenced two of four members of a stone-throwing gang to 25 years in prison and ordered them to pay one million baht in compensation for attacking and robbing a driver of a delivery truck in the province in October.
Prathan Chomsamut, 44, and Suthep Puangmalai, 41, were sentenced to life imprisonment but the punishment was commuted to 25 years for their confessions in the court.
Somrit Puangmalai, 19, was given a lighter sentence of 16 years and eight months, commuted from 33 years for his confession.
Suthep Chanpromma, the fourth defendant accused of taking part in the attack, will be tried in a juvenile court as he is only 17 years old.
The 17-year-old allegedly threw a rock at the delivery van, causing it to stop, after which his accomplices attacked and robbed the driver, Somyot Sichok, a 31-year-old resident of Ayutthaya.
The attack took place on Bang Pa-in-Ayutthaya road in Bang Pa-in district on Oct 16 this year.
They robbed the victim of 970 baht in cash and the thrown stone permanently damaged the right eye of the victim, the court said.
The provincial court also ordered the attackers to pay one million baht in compensation to Mr Somyot.
The prosecution was accelerated as Her Majesty the Queen earlier advised Ayutthaya police to speed up the arrest of the attackers so that their prosecution could set an example of harsh punishment against such a dangerous attack on motorists. The Queen also took Mr Somyot as a patient under her patronage.
Yesterday the three convicted men raised 30,000 baht for Mr Somyot to express their regret. However, the victim said he would not use the sum but donate it. Any compensation would not heal the loss of his eye, he said.
Bangkok Post
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