The Appeal Court has postponed its ruling on the murder of former national shooting team member Jakkrit Panichpatikum, which his wife was convicted of masterminding, until June 26.
The Min Buri Court in Bangkok was scheduled to read out the written decision at 9am Tuesday. At 9.30am, a judge said the Appeal Court had not yet made a ruling and planned to delay the announcement to June 21.
Defendant Nitiwadee Pucharoenyos and her mother Surang Duangjinda asked the court to further postpone it because they had other business on June 21. The court scheduled it for June 26.
Nitiwadee, Jakkrit's widow, was charged with masterminding the murder of her husband on Oct 19, 2013, in the wake of reports of domestic violence at their home.
On Dec 19, 2016, the Min Buri Provincial Court convicted and sentenced to her and lawyer Santi Thongsem to death for hiring gunman Jirasak Klinkhlai to kill Jakkrit.
The court also handed down life imprisonment sentences to killer Jirasak and to Thawatchai Phetchote, who drove the motorcycle Jirasak rode on.
Nitiwadee had earlier alleged that her husband assaulted her under the influence of methamphetamine. Jakkrit said that he was clean. He told police he assaulted her because she made him jealous.
Police searched Jakkrit's house and arrested him on charges of assault and illegal possession of weapons as well as domestic violence. In mid-August 2013, Jakkrit finally was allowed bail on his fourth request.
Jakkrit then found out that some of his assets were missing from his personal safety deposit box. He accused Nitiwadee of taking them without his consent while he was in custody.
Nitiwadee denied the allegation, saying that it was their joint property. She claimed she also had a key to the deposit box.
She said she took the assets because Jakkrit threatened her while he was in custody, saying that when freed he would withdraw and spend all their money on another woman.
In September 2013, then-social development and human security minister Paveena Hongsakula tried to reunite the couple during a public event.
On that day, Jakkrit posed with a bouquet of flowers, asking for Nitiwadee's forgiveness. Both smiled for the cameras.
One month later Jakkrit was shot three times while driving his black Porsche near Soi Ramkhamhaeng 166 in Bangkok late on the day of Oct 19, 2013. He was on his way to meet Nitiwadee, who lived separately in another house further down the same road.
Nitiwadee said she was talking to Jakkrit on the phone about their plans to renovate their house. Jakkrit, accompanied by a maid, was driving from his residence on Ramhamkaeng 174 to Nitiwadee's house in Ramkhamhaeng 162.
After he was shot, his maid called Nitiwadee, who arrived at the scene a few minutes later and tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.
In November 2013, police arrested Jirasak, the gunman, who confessed that he was hired by Santi.
He received 200,000 baht to kill Jakkrit and shared the money with Thawatchai before they split up after the murder.
Nitiwadee's mother Surang then came forward and confessed in November 2013 that she hired the gunman and acted alone because Jakkrit had repeatedly abused her daughter during their six-year marriage. She claimed her daughter was not involved in the murder.
The court found that Jakkrit was murdered at the order of Nitiwadee. The Min Buri Provincial Court acquitted Mrs Surang.
Nitiwadee and Santi were released on bail of one million baht and prohibited from leaving the country, pending the result of their appeal.
