KHON KAEN: Preeyanuch Nonwangchai, also known as Preaw, will not appeal her prison term of 34 years and 6 months in the karaoke girl murder case, her lawyer said Monday.
Amornpong Jankawee, the lawyer, said Preeyanuch accepted the ruling and intended to serve the sentence.
Meanwhile, four others convicted in the murder of Warisara Klinjui reportedly plan to appeal.
Kawita Rachada - sentenced to the same term as Preeyanuch for collusion in the murder - would appeal, said Mr Amornpong, because the conflict was between Preeyanuch and Warisara, and Kawita only intended to help Preeyanuch attack Warisana without any intention of killing her.
The three others would exercise their appeal rights within 30 days, the lawyer said without elaboration.
Noppadon Seedathan, the lawyer retained by Warisara's family, said the family would also appeal because there was a plan to lure Warisara into meeting the group. The family would seek punishment on a count of premeditated murder among other offences, he said.
The Khon Kaen provincial court handed down sentences in the case last Thursday.
Preeyanuch, 25, and Kawita, 26, were given 34 years and six months in prison. Apiwan Sattayabundit, 29, faces 33 years and nine months, while Wasin Namprom, 22, was jailed for 23 years, four months and 20 days. All have been kept in custody since their arrest.
The fifth defendant, Jidarat Promkhun, 22, who had been freed on bail, was sentenced to a one-year term for receiving the victim's stolen phone for sale.
All except Jidarat were ordered to pay 1.07 million baht to support the family of Warisara, 22, and 100,000 baht for her funeral.
All were acquitted of the charge of collusion in premeditated murder.
Preeyanuch and Kawita were initially given life imprisonment for collusion in the murder, illegal disposal of a corpse and robbery, but the punishment was commuted because they had cooperated.
Apiwan was found guilty of collusion in the murder, disposal of a corpse and methamphetamine use. Wasin was found guilty of assisting in the murder, disposing of a corpse and colluding in robbery.
Warisara's body was found dismembered in a shallow grave in Khon Kaen's Khao Suan Kwang district on May 26 last year.
Kawita, Apiwan and Wasin earlier told the court they only helped Preeyanuch cut up the body before burying it.
Preeyanuch claimed she "accidentally covered Warisara's nose with her hand" and that she had intended only to gag the victim.
Some of the defendants testified that they assaulted Warisara before Preeyanuch used a black plastic bag she bought at a convenience store to strangle the victim to death in a car.
According to police, Preeyanuch wanted to "teach Warisara a lesson" after the victim gave them information which led to the arrest of the suspect's husband for drug offences.
Jidarat, a friend of the other convicts, was in Bangkok at the time of the murder and was charged with receiving stolen property for sale - the victim's mobile phone, brought to her by the others.
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(Video YouTube/The Star Online)