Photo Album Above: Graphic Images
THE KILLING of golf caddy Amornrat Petchtrong one bright Phuket morning was a labor of love, according to what police have now discovered about the alleged murder.
There was the love of a sister, who believed the golf caddy had ruined her brother's marriage, leading to her having to care for her infant nephew.
There was the sister's lover, who was content to ignore his own wife and family to help carry out his girlfriend's wish to have the golf caddy murdered.
And there was the gunman, who stood to gain 30,000 baht for the killing, but who told a Phuketwan reporter when asked for a motive: ''I did it because I love my friends.''
A single bullet killed golf caddy Amornrat, 26, as she rode to her job as a caddy at Mission Hills golf course on December 7 last year.
Two motorcycles followed her to work that morning. The first was ridden by Paisan ''Dom'' Preecha, 33, the lover of the alleged murder mastermind, Pratoom Chamoorak, 42.
Having been the owner of the illegal gun and passed it on to the hit-man, all he had to do was indicate that Amornrat was the intended target. Later he was to tell police that he supplied the weapon, but had nothing to do with the killing.
Riding the motorcycle behind the one ridden by Dom was a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons. He pulled up and cruised alongside the golf caddy, so his pillion passenger, Pongsak Boorama, 34, could lift the handgun from his jeans and kill her with a single shot to the back of the head.
What was not revealed in the presentation at Phuket City police headquarters today of the four alleged killers was the feelings of Udom Nuna, whose infidelity with the golf caddy triggered the tragedy.
Because he loved another woman, he lost his wife, he lost his lover to a killer's bullet, and now he has lost his devoted sister, who was raising his young son.
Police told today's presentation that all four charged over the killing admitted their guilt.
There was a mother's love, too. At one stage, the mother of Udom and his sister Pratoom placed a telephone call to the mother of the golf caddy and told her: ''Tell your daughter to stop her relationship with my son.
''If you tell your daughter this, I will give money to you. If you don't tell your daughter this, you will collect your daughter's body.''
So it came to pass. Dom, who loved Pratoom, contacted the potential hit-man, Pongsak. His friend accepted the assignment and a down-payment of 5000 baht on a 30,000 baht fee.
When Phuketwan asked Pongsak why he did it, he replied: ''I did it because I love my friends and I would like to help.''
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Re the lead photo.
I do hope the safety is on and he doesn't hit any potholes. Also were they charged with not wearing helmets, as the re-enactment clearly shows.
5,000 baht down 25,000 on completion ! How cheap is life here. Also by hiding the gun rather than ditching it seems to point to the fact that it was going to be used again for the same purpose.
A death sentence is too humane, solitary confinement for life and loose the key.
Another interesting point is that the driver " was a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons." yet his picture is clearly visible riding the bike. I thought it was government policy to protect the identity of a minor. What is the reason for this change?
Posted by innocent bystander on January 19, 2011 11:31
Editor Comment:
That's a policeman riding the motorcycle for the reenactment. The 17-year-old did not participate. We should have mentioned that. The compulsory helmet wearing campaign across the whole island did not begin until January 1. Presumably, in a reenactment, dispensation is given to return to the dark, bare-headed days of December. Is there such a thing as a bulletproof helmet? There may now be a market among philanderers and adulterers.