The Criminal Court on Monday sentenced a Bangkok man to 40 months in jail for stealing a television from a torched red-shirt bus where a teenager was found dead in 2013.
Adisorn Seejanphong was convicted of joining 15 people in looting the bus reserved for transporting red-shirt demonstrators at the Rajamangala National Stadium on Ramkhamhaeng Road in Bangkok's Hua Mak area on Dec 1, 2013.
The gang later took valuables from the coach before it was set ablaze. A 17-year-old was later found dead in the charred bus, registered in Kamphaeng Phet province. At the time, red-shirt demonstrators were rallying at the stadium and anti-red protesters had gathered at adjacent Ramkhamhaeng University. Both sides later clashed.
Damage to the coach was put at 7 million baht and seven fixtures worth 138,500 baht were stolen from it.
Adisorn told police he lived on Ramkhamhaeng Road. He was riding his motorcycle when someone called him to join them at the bus.
He stole a television there and was captured in photos taken at the scene.
The Criminal Court found him guilty only of theft as plaintiffs did not present any evidence to prove he had attacked the bus and set it on fire.
The jail term was commuted from five years due to his confession.
The court also ordered him to return the 12,000-baht Sanyo television to its owner.