A senior policeman has been charged with the murder his wife after key evidence emerged contradicting his claim she committed suicide.
Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commander Pakkapong Pongpetra said on Monday that Pol Capt Songklod Boonsong, deputy inspector in charge of investigation at Wang Thonglang police station, had been charged with shooting dead his wife, Pimchadaporn Phuyaemsai.
Investigators had not yet decided on the specific charge, whether it was premeditated, Pol Lt Gen Pakkapong said.
Pol Capt Songklod was called in to hear the charge and denied murder, he said.
He said he had a quarrel with his wife, and his .45 pistol was unintentionally fired as she was trying to grab hold of it, the city police chief said.
Investigators brought a charge of murder against Pol Capt Songklod after tests detected gunpowder residue on his hand.
Pimchadaporn, 30, was reported to have been found dead on a sofa on the first floor of their house at Saena Villa 88 in Bang Kapi district on Saturday.
Police called to the scene reported she was in her sleepwear, and there was a gunshot wound on the left side of her head.
Pol Capt Songklod, who was at the scene waiting for them, said then that his wife had shot herself dead, and he had afterwards moved the pistol for safe-keeping to the second floor of the house.
Her body was taken to her family home in Yang Talat district of Kalasin for funeral rites, but relatives said she would not be cremated until her death was fully investigated.
Her mother, Thongsai Phukongnam, and her elder brother, Kotchakittipat Phuyaemsai, were among many people who did not believe she had killed herself. They said she was not left-handed.
“My daughter was right-handed, but the shot to her head was on her left,” Ms Thongsai said.
Mr Kotchakittipat said his sister did not know anything about guns. She earned her living selling clothing and was active live on her Facebook page shortly before she died.
