Australian man pleads not guilty to Thai teen's murder

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 08:24 · Archive

An Australian man has pleaded not guilty to murdering a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found in a suitcase beside railway tracks.

Simon Peter Carman, 45, appeared in Pattaya Provincial Court charged with the death of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla in June. Her body was found stuffed inside a suitcase and dumped beside railway tracks outside the coastal resort city of Pattaya. Carman was charged with four offences including murder and concealing a corpse. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges but changed his plea on Monday, admitting to concealing Donhomla's body. However, he maintains his innocence regarding the murder charge.

Carman claimed that Donhomla put a knife to his neck, forcing him to defend himself. He states he squeezed her jaw rather than her neck, but she died as a result. When asked about compensation of approximately $70,000 to the family—a common practice in Thai criminal cases—Carman refused, saying he did nothing wrong and would only consider helping if released.

Donhomla's family expressed satisfaction at his not guilty plea to murder. Her aunt Miruntree Thanachai stated: 'We are grateful that he has denied the charges and hope he continues to do so, as we want him to face the harshest possible punishment.' Under Thai law, a confession to murder could result in a reduced sentence compared to the maximum penalty of death by lethal injection. Carman's previous requests for bail have been rejected.

How it is being reported

• Thai teen Tunchanok Donhomla’s family reveal why they are happy Simon Peter Carman will contest murder chargeSimon Peter Carman is accused of murdering Tunchanok Donhomla, hiding her body inside a suitcase, and dumping it beside railway tracks.The West Australian · 12 Oct, 07:59
• Thai teen Tunchanok Donhomla’s family reveal why they are happy Simon Peter Carman will contest murder chargeThe body of Tunchanok Donhomla was found stuffed in a suitcase and dumped beside railway tracks. Now the man accused of murdering her has gone on trial.Perth Now · 12 Oct, 05:21

In this story: Simon Peter Carman · Tunchanok Donhomla · Miruntree Thanachai · Pattaya · Thailand

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem