AYUTTHAYA: A woman arrested for the murder of her builder husband in Nakhon Luang district said 20 years of beatings drove her to mastermind his demise, police said.
Ms Prapassporn Thornprayoon, 62, the alleged mastermind, and three other suspects were arrested for the murder of Thawat Suksankhan, 63, a local builder, in Nakhon Luang district on Feb 8.
The three suspects were Montri Chomthanom, 28, the alleged gunman; Tawan Seeluang, 38, who allegedly hired the gunman; and Sarawut Songchom, Ms Prapassporn's son-in-law, who helped plan the attack. All confessed to having colluded in the murder, said police.
Deputy national police chief Chalermkiart Srivorakhan joined senior police officers in interrogating the suspects on Wednesday.
The four were among six suspects involved in the killing of Thawat, Ms Prapassporn's husband.
Thawat was driving his pickup truck when he was gunned down in front of Nakhon Luang Udomrat Witthaya School in Nakhon Luang district at around 5.30am on Feb 8.
Ms Prapassporn immediately called police, but he died shortly after they arrived.
Deputy national police chief Chalermkiart Srivorakhan said the case was a domestic dispute. The wife of the slain builder confessed to the crime, he said, saying she had lived with the victim for almost 20 years, that he became enraged easily and was addicted to alcohol and gambling.
Her husband had often started quarrels and physically assaulted her, and sometimes held her at gunpoint and threatened to kill her, said Pol Gen Chalermkiart after interrogating Ms Prapassporn and the other three suspects.
After the repeated domestic violence, she conspired to murder her husband with her son-in-law, Mr Sarawut, but the first attempt failed, she told police.
She later contacted Mr Tawan to arrange for a gunman to kill her husband -- and the act was carried out on Feb 8.
The two other suspects were Sarawut Chencharoen, who rode a motorcycle for the gunman; and Apichart Meesomkorn, who was tasked with paying money to and coordinating with the team of hitmen. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of the two remaining suspects.
Police on Wednesday took the gunman for a crime re-enactment in front of the school. Local residents gathered at the scene expressed sympathy for Ms Prapassporn after hearing her confession. But relatives of the victim wanted her - and the others involved in the murder - to be severely punished.
