Defendants in the trial of last year’s murder of Warisara Klinjui, 22, a Khon Kaen karaoke bar girl, are making headlines again — this time for contempt during a recent hearing in their trial.
Three of the five defendants now face additional contempt charges for allegedly being on a phone and posting to social media from the courtroom during a March 13 witness hearing. The charge came after screenshots of alleged conversations they were involved in went viral, as did courtroom pictures of defendants Priyanuch “Preaw” Nonwangchai, 25, and Kawita Rachada, 26, taken by Jiradat Promkhun, 22, that outraged many, reported Bangkok Post.
CCTV footage from the courtroom shows Jidarat snapping photos in a courtroom at Khon Kaen Provincial Court during a witness hearing. Jiradat has been out on bail for many months since she is only suspected of a robbery related to the murder. The pictures of her two co-defendants in cute poses were allegedly taken after the woman had been told to turn off the phone as they awaited the arrival of the judge.
Secretary-general of the Office of the Judiciary Sarawut Benjakul, held a press conference today to address the viral screenshots and CCTV footage featuring the three women.
Priyanuch, who has been in custody, is also suspected of using Jidarat’s phone during the hearing to chat with a person named “Shek” in a conversation that appears flirtatious in viral screenshots.
In the screengrabs, the two say that they miss each other and Shek expresses a desire to visit Priyanuch in prison while she shares her fears about being executed.
She wrote: “I’m still ok. If the walls have ears and the doors have eyes, we will see each other. I have to go to court now. I’ll wait for your letter.”
“My hair is short now. That’s okay. It’s karma. I did it, and now I have to accept consequences.”
“Thanks for not minding a murderer like me.”
Priyanuch is charged with murdering Warisara last May for allegedly suspecting the woman of acting as a police drug informant on her husband, who was arrested.
Warisara’s body was found dismembered in a shallow grave in Khon Kaen. Priyanuch and Kawita, alongside Apiwan Sattayabundit, 29, and Wasin Namprom, 22, face charges of premeditated murder and body disposal. Jidarat, 22, is only charged with allegedly selling the murder victim’s phone after she was dead.
Contempt of court charges can be punishable with a jail sentence up to six months and/or a fine of THB500 baht.
Related:
Bar girl murder suspects re-enact crime, probe launched into VIP treatment of trio
Bar girl murder suspect’s mom happy her daughter was arrested
Bar girl murder suspects confess, Preaw says no intention of killing victim
Bar girl murder suspect Preaw on run in Myanmar, lavish lifestyle displayed on Facebook (PHOTOS)
Dismembered Khon Kaen bar girl was police drug snitch, says one suspect
