The
couple during happier times.
Patcharapol Panrak
A Sattahip-area village chief allegedly shot his wife
after a night of arguing over her supposed gambling debts.
Charu Liangton, 44, the kamnan of Sattahip Moo 7, was
arrested Feb. 15 at Queen Sirikit Hospital where he took wife Apatchaya
after admittedly shooting her twice in the back. “Puyai Thing,” as he is
known, told police the shooting was accidental.
Apatchaya remained in intensive care at the Plutaluang
hospital.
The incident began a day earlier when Charu claims a debt
collector came to his Romruedee Village home office demanding a million baht
to cover losses Apatchaya allegedly ran up playing illegal dice games.
Infuriated by the loss of face, Charu allegedly flew into
a rage, arguing violently with his wife throughout the night. The village
chief admitted the fight culminated with him packing his wife’s belongings
into suitcases and throwing them and photos of her dead parents onto the
lawn.
Apparently sensing it was the end of the line, Apatchaya
fled the house, but was gunned down with two shots to the back from her
husband’s Beretta Tomcat.
Col. Somchai Sunthavanik said Charu was cooperating with
police, but said he did not intend to injure his wife and that shooting her
was an accident. He was simply angry over the size of the debt, the damage
to his reputation and the fact Apatchaya allegedly refused to take
responsibility for her actions.
