The Criminal Court yesterday handed down the death sentence to a Spanish suspect for the gruesome murder of one of his compatriots, whose dismembered body parts were found in the Chao Phraya River in January last year.
Artur Segarra Princep, 38, was charged with premeditated murder, destroying and concealing a human body, illegal detention of others, theft, and other charges in violation of Sections 289, 199, and 310 of the Criminal Code.
He denied any involvement in the murder of David Bernat, 41, a consultant to a foreign company.
The prosecutors submitted the indictment of the defendant to the Court on May 3, 2016. The case came to light on the morning of Jan 30, 2016 when community residents near a private shipyard close to Wat Kharuehabodi, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok's Bang Phlat district, discovered what appeared to be a man's right arm floating in the river.
Later, several more body parts were discovered floating in the river in various locations in the provinces of Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.
Police investigators later identified the human body parts as belonging to Bernat.
Bernat, a consultant to a foreign company, was reported missing from his apartment in Nantiruj Tower, Klong Toey district on the night of Jan 20. He was last seen on CCTV footage riding a motorcycle with Segarra from his apartment.
According to police, Segarra took Bernat to his room in PG Rama IX Condominium in Huai Khwang district, where he killed and dismembered Bernat before dumping the body parts in different locations in the river. Segarra was later arrested in the Cambodian coastal town of Sihanoukville near the eastern border province of Trat and handed over to Thai police on Feb 8, according to prosecutors.
Corrections Department officials yesterday escorted the smiling Segarra from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road. He had been detained for more than a year following his arrest.
Officials from the Spanish embassy and a translator were present at the courtroom.
The court said that police investigators checked the footage from security cameras at PG Rama IX Condominium and confirmed Bernat was on a motorocycle with Segarra.
Segarra was later captured on security camera footage leaving the condo on the motorcycle alone and carrying two black plastic bags before the human parts were found in the Chao Phraya River, the court said.
Officials who conducted forensic tests concluded that DNA samples collected from the body parts and from bloodstains in Segarra's room at the condo belonged to Bernat, the court said.
Apart from DNA samples, a money trail between the suspect and the victim also indicated Segarra could be behind the brutal murder. Officials from Kasikornbank and City Bank, who testified in court, confirmed that money was transferred from Bernat's account to Segarra's account several times, the court said.