The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed down a life sentence to a man who led red-shirt protesters in torching Ubon Ratchathani provincial hall in 2010, overruling a lower court's sentence of only one year.
The higher court initially decided to give the death penalty to 60-year-old Pichet Thabutda, a core leader of the Chak Thong Rop (Warrior Flag Group), but later commuted the sentence to life in prison.
The court read out its ruling on the 2010 political unrest involving an arson attack by 13 defendants at Ubon Ratchathani provincial hall that took place on May 19, 2010.
Pichet was among 13 defendants from a splinter group of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship in Ubon Ratchathani who appealed to the Supreme Court over their involvement in the arson attack.
Damage was calculated at 92 million baht.
Pichet received the harshest penalty of all the defendants.
Wattana Chantasilp, a lawyer for the 13, said the court also increased the sentences for several other defendants, including Chatchawarn Srichanda, Likhit Suthiphan and On-anong Banpachart.
The court sentenced Chatchawarn to life imprisonment, even though he was previously acquitted in the Appeal Court.
The court also sentenced On-anong and Likhit to 33 years and four months in prison each.
The Appeal Court had sentenced them to two years, according to the lawyer.
The court also sentenced Likhit and On-anong to life, but reduced their terms by a third, or 33 years and four months.
The Appeal Court had sentenced them to two years.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld the Appeal Court's decisions to give two-year prison sentences to Sumalee Srijinda, Pradit Boonsuk, Chaiya Deesaeng and Pisith Bood-amkha.
The court overruled a lower court's decision to acquit Sgt Maj Somjit Suthiphan and handed him a one-year prison sentence, the lawyer said.
The court also reduced sentences for several other defendants, including Pattama Moonnin, Theerawat Sajjasuwan, Sanong Ketsuwan and Somsak Prasansab, Mr Wattana said.
The court commuted sentences from 33 years and 12 months to 33 years and four months in prison, he added.
Mr Wattana said the court's decisions were based on evidence and witness testimony.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out the one-year sentence of a lower court and handed a life sentence to the man who led red-shirt protestors to torch Ubon Ratchathani's provincial hall on May 19-20, 2010. (Photo by Thaweesak Butchan)
The court believed the defendants had colluded to set fire to the Ubon Ratchathani provincial hall and that Pichet was the mastermind, he said.
The defendants were taken to Ubon Ratchathani Central Prison after the court delivered its rulings.
On May 19, 2010, hundreds of people, apparently acting on the orders of red-shirt leaders in Bangkok, stormed city halls in the four northeastern provinces of Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen and Mukdahan and set fire to the buildings which were badly damaged.
EARLIER REPORT
The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed a life sentence to the man who led red-shirt protestors to torch Ubon Ratchathani’s provincial hall in 2010, overruling a lower court’s sentence of only one year.
The high court initially gave the death penalty to 60-year-old Pichet Thabutda, a core leader of the Chak Thong Rop (Warrior Flag Group), but commuted it to life in prison.
Pichet was among 13 defendants from the splinter group of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship in Ubon who appealed to the Supreme Court over their involvement in the May 19, 2010 arson attack. Damage was calculated at 92 million baht.
Pichet, aka DJ Toy, received the sternest penalty of all the defendants today.
Wattana Chantasilp, a lawyer for the 13, said the court also increased sentences for several other defendants, including Chatchawarn Srichanda, Likhit Suthiphan and On-anong Banpachart.
The court sentenced Chatchawarn to life imprisonment, even though he previously was acquitted in the Appeal Court.
The court also sentenced Likhit and On-anong to life, but reduced their terms by a third, or 33 years and four months. The Appeal Court had sentenced them to two years.
Seven people were previously acquitted in the Appeal Court. The court today overruled the lower court's decision to acquit Somjit Sutthipan and handed him a one-year sentence.