The Min Buri Court on Tuesday postponed reading the Appeal Court's ruling on national shooter Jakkrit Panichpatikum murder case for the second time after a defendant jumped bail.
The reading had been delayed from May 8 because the Appeal Court's ruling had not been ready and lawyer Santi Thongsem, 31, who was a defendant, had told the court he could not come because his car broke down in the South.
The lawyer did not give an excuse for his absence Tuesday so the Min Buri Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
Other defendants showed up in court. They were convicted gunman Jirasak Klinkhlai, 36, and Thawatchai Phetchote, also 36, who drove the motorcycle Jirasak rode on to commit the murder. Both had been in prison.
Nitiwadee Pucharoenyos, 41, widow of Jakkrit, and her mother Surang Duangjinda, 75, also turned up.
The Min Buri Provincial Court set the reading of the ruling on Aug 7.
Nitiwadee was charged with masterminding the murder of her husband on Oct 19, 2013 in the wake of reports of domestic violence.
On Dec 19, 2016, the Min Buri Court convicted and sentenced her and lawyer Santi to death for hiring Jirasak to kill Jakkrit.
The court also sentenced killer Jirasak and Thawatchai to death, commuted to life in prison because they cooperated.
Nitiwadee had earlier alleged that her husband beat her under the influence of methamphetamine. Jakkrit said that he was clean. He told police he hit 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. (Continue below)
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 Soi 174 to Nitiwadee's house on 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 1 million baht and prohibited from leaving the country.
Boonkid Panichpatikum, Jakkrit's mother, told reporters at the Min Buri Court Tuesday that she was never angry with Nitiwadee and had talked with her and her mother.
She said she sympathised with Nitiwadee who was kind and she had never sided with her son's misconduct. Besides, she was thankful for Nitiwadee's family for properly raising her grandchildren whom she loved very much, Mrs Boonkid said.
