Defendant shoots dead plaintiff, lawyer in courtroom

An ambulance is sending an injured person from the shooting at Chanthaburi Court to Prapokklao Hospital in Muang district of Chanthaburi province on Tuesday. (A screenshot from a video clip posted in the page of Facebook user Krisada Sawatdichai)

CHANTHABURI: A retired senior policeman involved in a land dispute case shot dead the plaintiff and his lawyer before being fatally shot by an on-duty police officer in a Chanthaburi courtroom on Tuesday morning.

He also wounded two other people who accompanied the slain plaintiff into the court.

Pol Maj Gen Thanin Chantratip, 67, former inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police Office, was a defendant in a 10-year-long civil lawsuit concerning 86 blocks of land covering about 3,800 rai in tambon Khao Kaeo of Tha Mai district.

He was in court waiting for a hearing in a related criminal lawsuit concerning false complaint and false testimony allegations when land-case plaintiff Bancha Porameesanaporn arrived with his wife and two lawyers about 9.15am.

Media reported that the two sides began arguing and Pol Maj Gen Thanin drew his pistol and opened fire at Bancha and other members of his party.

Bancha, 61, and lawyer Wijai Sukharom, 51, died later at Prapokklao Hospital. Bancha was a lawyer for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra during her rice-pledging scheme case. Bancha's wife and plaintiff Supaporn and another lawyer, Wichai Udomthanapat, were wounded.

Thanin was in turn shot by an on-duty police officer and severely wounded. He later also succumbed to his wound.

Suriyan Hongwilai, spokesman for the Court of Justice, said the shooting happened before some conflicting partners had arrived and a judge had not entered the courtroom.

He also said the two sides had often argued with each other at past hearings.