Kanpitak “Mu Ham” Pachimsawat, the 24-year-old son of former Miss Thailand Sawinee Pakaranang, has been awarded a reduced sentence for charges stemming from a 2007 incident in which he rammed his car into a crowd waiting at a bus stop in Bangkok’s Watthana district.
Mu Ham had originally received 10 years and a month in prison for his involvement in the affair, which resulted in the death of one woman and the serious injury of several bystanders.
The incident apparently originated from a fight between Mu Ham and a bus driver in which the driver accused Mu Ham of having sideswiped his bus in a Mercedes Benz sedan.
In the ensuing trial, Mu Ham’s family claimed that he suffered from bipolar disorder and was unable to control himself while angry, and should therefore not be legally culpable for the woman’s death. The Appeals Court decided earlier this week that this claim was “partially convincing.”
Apparently the court found it convincing enough to reduce his sentence.
Mu Ham’s sentence was originally reduced to three years, then reduced once again to two years, after the defendant’s family paid remunerations to the victims.
The Bangkok Post reports that at present, Mu Ham is at large on bail. His family has not mentioned whether or not it will continue to appeal the decision.
