Facing the law: Prasitthichai arriving at the Bangkok Criminal Court in this August 2020 file picture. — AP
THE Supreme Court of Thailand upheld a death sentence for an ex-elementary school principal convicted of killing three people, including a toddler, during an armed gold shop robbery in 2020.
The court ruled on Wednesday that Prasitthichai Khaewkao did not deserve a reduction in his sentence, calling the shooting in a shopping mall in Lopburi province “outrageously, ruthlessly inhuman” in a statement released yesterday. Four people were injured in the attack and a salesclerk, a security guard and a two-year-old boy were killed.
Prasitthichai was found guilty in August 2020 and given a death sentence on charges including first-degree murder, killing in commission of another crime and illegally carrying a gun. The Appeal Court also upheld the death penalty in 2021.
The Supreme Court said the defendant, as a teacher and headmaster, should have behaved as a role model for students, but instead committed a serious crime.
Security footage of the shooting was widely broadcast and sent shockwaves across the country.
One video showed a man dressed in a black ski mask and camouflage trousers, with a backpack across his chest, carrying a pistol with a silencer as he entered the Robinson Lopburi mall.
Another camera at the gold shop showed the man firing his pistol, and the toddler, who had been walking with an adult, suddenly falling to the ground.
The man grabbed a number of gold necklaces before fleeing.
Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Prasitthichai denied that he deliberately shot the toddler and other victims. He said he opened fire to intimidate shoppers and security guards so he could flee easily. — AP
