Death sentence for woman who masterminded husband's murder; killers get 25 years

A woman found guilty of masterminding her husband's murder in order to pick up Bt2 million in insurance money was sentenced to death by the Criminal Court yesterday. The four men who carried out the murder each got 25 years in jail.

Last April, Khai Suksamphan hired Manote Phumthavorn to kill her ex-husband Sawaeng Boonmee, a 56-year-old foreman at the Shino-Thai construction company.

Lured out, stabbed

Sawaeng was lured out on a date by Oranuch Lahchan then beaten and stabbed by Manote and his three accomplices in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district. Three of the men stole his mobile phone and Bt15,000 cash. They then ran Sawaeng over with a taxi in an attempt to the pass off the murder as a road accident.

Considering evidence including testimony from the driver who took the four men to Sukhothai to get their payment of Bt300,000 from Khai and an insurance firm employee who said Khai bought the victim life insurance just prior to the incident, the court ruled that Khai and the four men were guilty as charged.

Initially sentenced to death, the four men had their sentences commuted to 25-year jail terms after confessing. The court added one year to the jail terms of the three found guilty of stealing from the victim and ordered them to reimburse the victim's children. Oranuch was acquitted after the court found no evidence that she knew Sawaeng would be killed.