Songkhla Provincial Court on Friday handed a death sentence to six convicts who gunned down a Malaysian businessman in Hat Yai district in 2015, says the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
The driver and the shooter, however, had their penalties cut in half to lifelong sentences as they both pleaded guilty, Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, the OAG's deputy spokesman, said yesterday.
The Malaysian businessman, later identified as Lee Ah Han, and his Thai girlfriend were shot with an M16 rifle in Hat Yai district on Dec 4, 2015, while the pair were travelling from Sadao district to the airport.
Lee, 44, was later found dead behind the wheel, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body and head, while his Thai girlfriend, identified as Mayuree Thipmanee, 42, survived with minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Mr Kosolwat said the investigation process -- including the questioning of more than 30 witnesses by prosecutors led by provincial prosecutor Wrinthorn Panich -- was conducted in a careful manner.
The probe narrowed down the number of suspects to six. These suspects, including people from Chumphon and Surat Thani, were all led by the father-in-law of a Malaysian man named Tang Wanjen, who was the one who ordered the shooting and was arrested in Udon Thani in 2018.
The father-in-law accepted Tang's assignment of shooting Lee and proceeded to lead a team of six to execute the shooting.
The investigation also seized two cars and cash obtained from the Tang's wife as evidence.
The team's motive was to clear a 120 million baht debt Tang and the gang incurred from a land trade with Lee, said the then-commander of Songkhla Provincial Police, Pol Gen Sakda Charoenkul.
The team denied the allegation. The shooter and the driver, however, decided to plead guilty after coming to the conclusion that they were not going to receive any help with the legal process. This ultimately led to the court's decision on Friday.