Former houseowner surrenders after killing new owner

Former houseowner surrenders after killing new owner

The house where the former owner refused to move out and shot the new owner dead, in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district. (Photo: Police TV)
The house where the former owner refused to move out and shot the new owner dead, in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district. (Photo: Police TV)

The dispossessed former owner of a house who shot dead the new owner at a housing estate in Pathum Thani on Tuesday afternoon surrendered to police later that night.

Decha Phayakkha, 66, gave himself up at 7.54pm, surrendering to local police and a special operations squad that had surrounded the house on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok Road in tambon Bueng Namrak, Thanyaburi disrict.

Mr Decha was taken to Thanyaburi police station, where he was held in custody.

The suspect allegedly shot dead Kamolporn Donthong, 52, who bought the house from a bank through the Legal Execution Department, when she arrived shortly before 3pm to talk to him about moving out.

Mr Decha refused to move out and allegedly shot her dead while she was in the street outside the house. 

Police surrounded the house, where the shooter had holed-up. His daughter was called in to help persuade him to surrender, but he refused.

Around 4.30pm, Pol Col Jirawat Piampinset, chief of Thanyaburi police station, asked the man to lay down his weapon and surrender, but he did not respond. A special operations unit had already been deployed around the house.

About 5.30pm, Mr Decha fired shots from the house as special operations police moved closer. Shortly before 8pm, he agreed to surrender.

On Wednesday, his son and daughter and a lawyer arrived at Thanyaburi police station to visit him.

Pol Capt Sariphong Apiwan, deputy investigation chief at Thanyaburi, said the suspect had become very  stressed overnight, but calmed down when his children visited him.

Mr Decha was initially charged with murder, attempting to kill officers on duty and firearms offences.

He would be taken to Thanyaburi Provincial Court, where police would apply to detain him for the first 12-day period of the investigation, Pol Capt Sariphong said.

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