A former beauty contestant's life sentence for the spiteful murder of her teenage maid has been reduced to 20 years by the Appeal Court.
Krissana Suwanpitak, 48; her close friend Pradthana Thuamsap, 35; and Krissana’s brother and former village chief Pramote Suwanpitak, 47, were arraigned in the case filed by public prosecutors.
Krissana, alias Mona, a former beauty contestant in Phetchaburi, was convicted of the premediated murder of Jareeya Srisak, or Nong Nam, then aged 15, in 2012.
The two other defendants were charged with collusion in helping another person escape punishment or receive light punishment.
Jareeya was hired to work as Krissana’s maid in February 2012 at her house in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.
Between early April and April 14, the hot-tempered Krissana hit Jareeya repeatedly on the head with a spray can about 30 centimetres long. She also beat her on the legs with a plastic cylinder and a dust collector, and used an electric hair straightener to inflict burns on her body.
The teenager sustained serious injuries, received no treatment, and died.
On April 15, Pradthana and Pramote helped place her body in a pickup truck and take it south to tambon Nong Sanor in Muang district of Phetchaburi, where they buried the girl in secret.
The girl was reported missing. Crime Suppression Division police took over the case and finally found her body buried by a tree near the house of Krissana's mother in Muang district of Phetchaburi in 2017.
Krissana was arrested in Chachoengsao in November the same year. She was a former contestant in the Nang Noppamas pageant and other beauty contests.
During police interrogation, Krissana and Pradthana denied any involvement. Krissana's brother, Pramote, confessed to all charges.
On February 20 last year, the Criminal Court sentenced Krissana to life behind bars for the premediated murder of Jareeya. The court also ordered her to pay Jareeya’s mother 1.06 million baht, at 7.5% interest rate, starting from March 5, 2012, as financial compensation.
The other defendants were initially sentenced to two years in prison each. The court then reduced Pradthana’s sentence to 16 months because she gave useful testimony. Pramote’s sentence was reduced to one year without suspension because he confessed.
Krissana and Pradthana appealed the lower court’s ruling.
Prison officials on Tuesday took Krissana from the Central Women’s Correctional Institute to the court. Pradthana and Pramote, who were released on bail of 200,000 baht each, were also at the court.
The Appeal Court ruled that Krissana's life sentence was too harsh and sentenced her to 20 years in jail instead. The court upheld the sentences for the two other defendants.
After hearing the court’s ruling, Jareeya’s mother, Janthira Srisak said she preferred the lower court’s ruling of life imprisonment. She said Krissana had shown no remorse for her actions, media reported.
Krissana had remained silent throughout the proceedings and had not even come to talk with her, or apologised to her, Ms Jareeya said. She thought the 20-year jail term was too light and wanted prosecutors to appeal to the Supreme Court.