The Appeals Court has ordered an increase in the punishment for a police officer from an initial 1-year imprisonment to 10 years for his involvement in the fatal pedestrian collision.
The incident occurred on January 21, 2022, when Pol Lance Corporal Norawit Buadok, a crowd control officer was riding a big bike at a speed of 108-128 km/h, colliding with Dr. Waraluck Supawatjariyakul a female doctor at a zebra crossing in front of the Bhumirajanagarindre Kidney Institute Hospital.
Upon reaching the lower court, he was sentenced to 1 year and 15 days in prison without suspension and was released on bail.
Subsequently, the parents of the deceased doctor appealed the sentence for a heavier penalty while the defendant appealed for suspension of the jail term.
After considering the case today, the Appeals Court found that he showed a lack of respect for the law and committed various offenses despite being a law enforcement officer responsible for public safety. These include speeding without a license plate, riding an untaxed motorcycle, and passing through the pedestrian lane without slowing down.
The court decided to increase the punishment for speeding and reckless driving. The sentence has been extended to 10 years and 2 months in prison.
However, the sentence was commuted to 5 years and 1 month with a fine of 4,000 baht due to his confession and the lack of a history of fleeing.
After the court’s decision, the defendant requested bail for temporary release. It will take a few days for the Supreme Court’s consideration. He is now being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison. -819 (TNA)
