Policeman jailed for killing doctor

Motorcyclist Pol L/Cpl Norawich Buadok (masked), a riot control policeman, at the Office of the Attorney-General to hear the prosecutors’ decision on Feb 22. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Motorcyclist Pol L/Cpl Norawich Buadok (masked), a riot control policeman, at the Office of the Attorney-General to hear the prosecutors’ decision on Feb 22. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The Criminal Court on Monday sentenced motorcyclist Pol L/Cpl Norawich Buadok, 21, to one year and 15 days in jail for running over and killing Waraluck Supawatjariyakul on a zebra crossing in Bangkok three months ago.

The court was told that Norawich, of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Protection and Crowd Control Division, was driving the Ducati Monster big bike that hit Dr Waraluck, of the faculty of medicine at Chulalongkorn University, on a pedestrian crossing on Phaya Thai Road in Ratchathewi district, on Jan 21.

She died of her injuries.

Waraluck was a popular member of the faculty, known as Mor Kratai from her nickname, Kratai, or "Rabbit".

Norawich was found to be driving at 108-128 kilometres per hour, well above the 80kph speed limit.

He was charged with nine counts and confessed to the charges.


The court found him guilty as charged and sentenced him to a total of one year and 15 days imprisonment without suspension.

The court initially sentenced him to two years and 30 days in prison and fines of 8,000 baht.

The sentences were commuted to one year and 15 days in prison and 4,000 baht in fines because he confessed.

Waraluck's family have filed a 72 million baht lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police Office and Pol L/Cpl Norawich  over their daughter's death. They charge that Norawich was on duty at the time and the Royal Thai Police Office is therefore responsible.

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Vocabulary

  • charge: to accuse someone officially of committing a crime - ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา
  • charge : an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime - ข้อกล่าวหา
  • commute (a punishment): to change a punishment to one that is less severe - ลดโทษ (รุนแรงให้น้อยลง)
  • confess (verb): to admit that you have committed a crime - สารภาพผิด
  • count: each crime someone is accused of - คดี
  • injury (noun): physical damage done to a person or a part of their body - อาการบาดเจ็บ
  • lawsuit: a case that a court is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people or groups - คดีที่ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล
  • on duty: working at a particular time - อยู่ในหน้าที่
  • pedestrian crossing: zebra crossing, crosswalk - ทางม้าลาย, ทางขีดเส้นดำสลับขาว เป็นที่ให้คนเดินข้ามถนน
  • responsible: deserving to be blamed for something that has happened - มีความรับผิดชอบ
  • suspension (of a jail term): a situation when the court decides that the person who has been proven guilty of a crime does not have to undergo the punishment given, usually under certain conditions - การรอลงอาญา
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