Thailand’s Supreme Court upholds Spaniard’s death sentence for murder
Artur Segarra Princep of Spain raises his hand displaying a popular Bible verse on the palm of his hand reading, “Lucas 23:34” as he arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, April 21, 2017.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thailand’s Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty imposed by the Criminal and Appeals court on a Spaniard for the murder and mutilation of a fellow countryman, whose remains were thrown into the Chao Phraya River three years ago.
According to the Supreme Court’s decision, which was read this morning (Wednesday), while the prosecutors did not have any witnesses to the murder by Artur Segarra Princep, the circumstantial evidence was sufficient to prove his guilt.
That evidence includes CCTV footage from PG condominium on Rama IX road, where the defendant was residing at the time, testimonies from a maid and his Thai girlfriend, a saw blade, a freezer and forensic evidence confirming that the DNA found on the saw and freezer matched that of the victim and the defendant.
Human body parts were found floating in the Chao Phraya River on January 30th, 2016. They were later identified as belonging to David Bernat.
After the murder, Mr. Princep fled Bangkok to stay at a market in Klong Yai district of Trat province, near the Thai-Cambodian border, where he was arrested by Thai police. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.
The sitting judge told the convicted defendant, through an interpreter, that he can appeal for a Royal pardon, which Princep’s Thai lawyer says he has been instructed so to do.
