222:
confidant
Khampun in the killing, and rejected the duo's defences in favour of the prosecution's submission. Justice Sinnathuray added that there was sufficient evidence to show that both Samlee and Khampun methodically lured Somwang to his death by inviting him for drinks, and attacked him after they started an argument on purpose, and thereafter used the sledgehammer to batter Somwang to death. The judge also noted that Samlee took steps to cover up the murder as one caused by a fight and he clearly did not tap but smashed the sledgehammer onto Somwang's head, and he also determined that both Khampun and Samlee had each took turns to hammer Somwang at least once, and the injuries which they intentionally inflicted on Somwang were sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death, and these were also done in furtherance of their common intention to launch the concerted attack that ultimately took Somwang's life. On these grounds, Justice Sinnathuray concluded that the pair were ought to be convicted of the charges preferred against them for unlawfully causing Somwang's death.
210:
offences like stealing cars. Somwang also proclaimed himself to be a hired professional killer who had killed many people for a living, and
Somwang, who first came to Singapore in January 1995, about ten months later than Samlee (who first arrived in February 1994), often borrowed money from Samlee for gambling and alcohol. It was adduced from the men's statements that on 14 February 1995 (two days before the murder), Samlee had been threatened by a drunken Somwang with a hammer during a regular drinks session that he would be killed and have his body burnt, and although Somwang later apologized once he became sober, he continued to glare at him for the following day while at work. It was the prosecution's case that due to their interpersonal conflicts, Samlee intended to kill Somwang and Khampun, who was Samlee's close friend and employed at a neighbouring construction site, joined in the plot out of sympathy for Samlee and thus, it culminated into the murder of Somwang sometime between 9.30pm on 15 February and 1.30am on 16 February 1994.
254:
had resulted in the murder of
Somwang, and the evidence proved that both men had the premeditation and planning to lure Somwang out with an excuse of inviting him for drinks and later killed him. Justice Karthigesu, who delivered the judgement, cited the forensic findings that the victim died from two fatal skull fractures (either one alone would have also caused death), which were caused by the ruthless and intentional assault caused by the two appellants, who both did so in furtherance of the common intention to cause harm and even the death of Somwang. In turn, Justice Karthigesu pronounced that the two appellants' respective defences should be rejected in view of the evidence that were enough to convict them of murder. Hence, the Court of Appeal affirmed the death penalty and murder conviction of both Samlee and Khampun, leading to the two men failing to escape the gallows.
214:
argument broke out between
Khampun and Somwang, and it escalated into a fight between both Somwang and Khampun, who was hit with a beer bottle by Somwang. In retaliation, Khampun used a sledgehammer to batter Somwang, and Samlee thus escaped and went into hiding out of fear. Samlee, who pinpointed Khampun as the one who killed Somwang, admitted that after the end of the fight, he came out of his hiding place and saw Somwang lying face downwards on the floor motionless, and to confirm if Somwang had died, Samlee picked up the bloodstained sledgehammer and tapped once at the head of Somwang, in addition to a hard blow on the head as he recalled the death threat which Samlee spewed at him.
218:
Khampun thus used a clawhammer to bludgeon
Somwang on the head, neck and jaw before he fled the scene, and the fight between Somwang and both the defendants ended with Somwang's death. Khampun also denied that he heard anything from Samlee about his interpersonal conflicts with Somwang. Despite the differing accounts from both men, the similarity in both version of events recounted by Samlee and Khampun was that the death of Somwang was unfortunately the result of a sudden but violent drunken brawl and there was no intent to commit murder in the first place, which formed the main crux of their defence in court.
173:
wounds). Shattered glass shards from a broken beer bottle were found scattered around the floor where
Somwang's corpse was laid. On that same day, a 45-year-old Thai construction worker surrendered himself after he admitted to his employer that he was responsible for the murder, and the police report was thus made and the officers subsequently took him in for further probe and investigations. The police uncovered through first-stage investigations that the homicide likely happened between the suspect and the victim during a drunken argument while they were drinking heavily.
137:- were arrested soon after they killed Somwang, and they were charged with murder. Despite their differing accounts of the murder, Khampun and Samlee both put up a defence that there was a fight between them all while they were drinking, which caused the two defendants to bludgeon Somwang to death during the fight itself. However, the
180:
Altogether, after some investigations, the police arrested two Thai construction workers, including the 45-year-old man who surrendered, for the murder of
Somwang. The two men, 45-year-old Samlee Prathumtree and 32-year-old Khampun Sriyotha, were charged in court with murder and subsequently remanded
176:
A forensic pathologist later examined
Somwang's body, and it was found that there were not less than 20 injuries all over his body, and most of these injuries were concentrated on the neck and head. Among these injuries were four skull fractures, and two of them were sufficient in the ordinary course
253:
dismissed the two men's appeals and confirmed their death sentences. The three appellate judges - Justice M Karthigesu, Justice Thean Lip Ping (L P Thean) and
Justice Goh Joon Seng - found that both Khampun and Samlee had shared the common intention to cause grievous hurt to Somwang, which in turn
221:
On 28 November 1995, Justice T S Sinnathuray delivered his verdict. In his judgement, Justice
Sinnathuray found that both Samlee and Khampun had the clear intention to cause the death of Somwang, especially Samlee who had the motive to commit the murder itself and thus roped his younger friend and
209:
The trial court was told that prior to the lethal sledgehammer attack, Samlee and Somwang did not have a good relationship with each other despite being neighbours back in Thailand. Samlee earlier told police that Somwang was previously incarcerated for a sexual crime, and he also engaged in petty
172:
The deceased Thai national, identified as 35-year-old Somwang Yapapha, was found with severe head injuries while he laid in a pool of blood, and his jaw was also smashed while his face and body were found with cuts caused by pieces of broken glass (some of which were embedded in the multiple open
274:
for to the joint trafficking of more than 590g of marijuana in August 1995, while the third, Singaporean Low Theng Gee (also spelt Low Theng Ghee), was found guilty of smuggling more than 31g of diamorphine in January 1996; in an unrelated case, Low notoriously masterminded the kidnapping of two
217:
As for Khampun, his own version of events was that after they invited Somwang to have drinks, Somwang got aggressive with Samlee and argued with him, and Khampun also tried to restore peace between the two men, and yet the situation was aggravated further when Somwang hit him with a bottle, and
213:
In his defence, Samlee did not dispute the events that happened before the murder, but Samlee denied there was any intention or plan to kill Somwang. He said that on the same night when Somwang was killed, the two accused and the victim drank together, and in midst of their second session, an
290:
Khampun and Samlee were one of the three Thais reported to be executed in Singapore during the year of 1997. Six months before their double executions, 30-year-old Thai citizen Pracha Thanomnin was hanged on 10 January 1997 for robbing and murdering a 47-year-old taxi driver
205:
for killing and dismembering a South African tourist in 1995. Khampun was represented by James Bahadur Masih and Christopher Teh, while Samlee was represented by Low Tiang Hock and N K Rajarh, and the prosecution was led by Luke Tan Loke Yong and Wong Keen Onn.
177:
of nature to cause death. The injuires, according to the pathologist, were caused by a heavy object and there were no defensive injuries found on the victim. It was confirmed through police investigations that a sledgehammer was used to kill Somwang.
269:
During that same morning, three more drug traffickers were hanged in the same prison alongside both Samlee and Khampun. Two of them, Singaporeans Abdul Rahman Yusof and La Abuhari La Odd Hamid, were convicted and sent to
295:
with three other Thais, two of whom remains at large till today and a third was convicted of attempted robbery and jailed for five years. Coupled with the executions of 11 drug traffickers and an infamous gunman
550:
275:
police officers during that same year. Low was not tried for this abduction case since he was already on death row for drug trafficking, but his accomplice and convicted robber
1193:
1103:
1073:
1013:
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1043:
897:
867:
542:
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On 17 August 1995, both Khampun Sriyotha and Samlee Prathumtree officially claimed trial for the murder of Somwang Yapapha. The trial, which took place at the
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On the Friday morning of 4 July 1997, 34-year-old Khampun Sriyotha and 47-year-old Samlee Prathumtree were both hanged in
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833:
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237:. Prior to 2013, all four degrees of murder carried the mandatory death penalty in accordance to Section 302 of the
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on top of the 18 years he got for the other crime of robbing a Japanese woman (who died during the robbery bid).
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in November 1995. Both Samlee and Khampun lost their appeals, and they were jointly hanged on 4 July 1997.
225:
As a result, both Samlee Prathumtree and Khampun Sriyotha, then aged 45 and 32 respectively, were found
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276:
190:
138:
238:
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8:
280:
202:
197:, a veteran Supreme Court judge who was notable for sentencing infamous child killer
543:"Ex-Supreme Court judge T S Sinnathuray dies: 6 memorable cases he presided over"
194:
300:, a total of 15 people were put to death in Singapore during the year of 1997.
297:
121:
was battered to death by two of his compatriots during a drinking session at a
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to death for murdering two children in 1981, as well as British serial killer
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On 16 February 1995, the police received a report that a 35-year-old
126:
70:
701:
44:
234:
162:
122:
66:
16:
1995 murder of a Thai worker at a flatted factory in Singapore
1006:"Cabby's murderers traced through wallet left in the cab"
279:
was alone found guilty of the kidnapping and given both
141:
rejected their defence, and the pair were hence found
714:"Thai workers lose appeals against murder conviction"
834:"5 jalani hukuman gantung kerana bunuh, edar dadah"
1066:"Worker gets jail, caning for robbery bid instead"
739:Samlee Prathumtree and Another v Public Prosecutor
500:Public Prosecutor v Samlee Prathumtree and Another
161:construction worker died at a flatted factory in
1213:
1096:"Gunman who shot shop manager in robbery hanged"
984:The Straits Times : Weekly Overseas Edition
266:for murdering Somwang Yapapha two years prior.
241:upon the conviction of an offender for murder.
756:"Five men hanged for murder, drug trafficking"
184:
181:without bail while awaiting trial for murder.
651:"Two get death for murder at flatted factory"
152:
860:"2 charged with trying to flee CID lock-up"
920:"Oriental Hotel murder | Infopedia"
495:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
481:
356:"Pekerja Thai dijumpai terbunuh di stor"
193:, was presided over by the late Justice
1214:
1186:"Fewer criminals sent to the gallows"
1036:"Man who murdered taxi-driver hanged"
900:from the original on 18 November 2023
870:from the original on 18 November 2023
702:Cap. 224, 1985 Rev. Ed.
478:
59:
55:
1262:20th-century executions by Singapore
980:"Man escapes gallows twice in a row"
890:"Man escapes gallows twice in a row"
553:from the original on 13 October 2022
1076:from the original on 11 August 2023
1046:from the original on 11 August 2023
1016:from the original on 11 August 2023
257:
13:
1196:from the original on 10 April 2024
1166:from the original on 27 March 2023
1136:from the original on 27 March 2023
950:"True Files S3 EP 10 - Fatal Step"
14:
1278:
244:
113:On 16 February 1995, 35-year-old
1106:from the original on 23 May 2023
1267:Capital punishment in Singapore
1242:Thai people convicted of murder
1178:
1148:
1118:
1088:
1058:
1028:
998:
972:
960:from the original on 4 May 2021
942:
930:from the original on 2020-06-22
912:
882:
852:
826:
800:
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748:
732:
706:
695:
669:
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591:
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310:Capital punishment in Singapore
1257:Deaths by beating in Singapore
683:(in Chinese). 28 November 1995
605:(in Chinese). 28 November 1995
535:
509:
466:(in Chinese). 18 February 1995
452:
440:(in Chinese). 16 February 1995
426:
414:(in Chinese). 16 February 1995
400:
388:(in Chinese). 16 February 1995
374:
348:
322:
1:
315:
36:
1247:Violence against men in Asia
1162:(in Chinese). 25 July 1997.
631:(in Chinese). 17 August 1995
579:(in Chinese). 17 August 1995
573:"泰工被控谋杀案揭露： "杀手"恫言杀我我用锤击他后脑"
523:(in Chinese). 18 August 1995
362:(in Malay). 17 February 1995
7:
1252:Thai people executed abroad
303:
185:Murder trial and sentencing
10:
1283:
1227:1995 murders in Singapore
814:(in Chinese). 4 July 1997
788:(in Chinese). 5 July 1997
336:(in Chinese). 4 July 1997
153:Murder and investigations
145:of murdering Somwang and
103:
95:
85:
77:
51:
28:
21:
1126:"The infamous 'Ah Soon'"
625:"邀同乡打抢被拒 恐吓杀人反被杀 涉嫌泰工被控"
1156:"抢表行·开七枪·伤一人 双枪大盗 今早正法"
840:(in Malay). 5 July 1997
277:Abdul Nasir Amer Hamsah
249:On 21 August 1996, the
924:eresources.nlb.gov.sg
81:Fatal skull fractures
1232:Capital murder cases
1237:Thai murder victims
1222:Murder in Singapore
1042:. 12 January 1997.
1012:. 1 February 1996.
866:. 6 February 1996.
549:. 25 January 2016.
460:"泰工倒毙德福巷一工厂内，一嫌犯被捕"
203:John Martin Scripps
125:flatted factory in
99:Construction worker
78:Cause of death
677:"2泰工打死 职业杀手 双双判死刑"
657:. 29 November 1995
599:"谋害'职业杀手' 2泰工被判死刑"
231:sentenced to death
147:sentenced to death
135:Samlee Prathumtree
129:. His murderers -
58:(aged 35) or
1190:The Straits Times
1130:The Straits Times
1100:The Straits Times
1070:The Straits Times
1040:The Straits Times
1010:The Straits Times
894:The Straits Times
864:The Straits Times
760:The Straits Times
718:The Straits Times
655:The Straits Times
547:The Straits Times
517:"喝酒闲聊起冲突泰工头壳破裂丧命"
111:
110:
1274:
1206:
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1192:. 1 March 2012.
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1102:. 26 July 1997.
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896:. 4 March 1997.
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720:. 22 August 1996
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258:Double execution
131:Khampun Sriyotha
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60:16 February 1995
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1132:. 3 June 2000.
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1072:. 25 May 1996.
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743:Court of Appeal
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681:Xin Ming Ri Bao
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195:T S Sinnathuray
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119:Somwang Yapapha
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33:Somwang Yapapha
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23:Somwang Yapapha
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986:. 8 March 1997
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298:Lim Chwee Soon
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245:Appeal process
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229:of murder and
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104:Known for
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62:(aged 35)
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1160:Lianhe Wanbao
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839:
838:Berita Harian
835:
829:
813:
812:Lianhe Wanbao
809:
803:
787:
786:Lianhe Zaobao
783:
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762:. 7 July 1997
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603:Lianhe Wanbao
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521:Lianhe Zaobao
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464:Lianhe Zaobao
461:
455:
439:
438:Lianhe Wanbao
435:
429:
413:
409:
408:"酒瓶割破头 下巴被打断"
403:
387:
386:Lianhe Wanbao
383:
377:
361:
360:Berita Harian
357:
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321:
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285:life sentence
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264:Changi Prison
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107:Murder victim
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1198:. Retrieved
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1108:. Retrieved
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932:. Retrieved
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902:. Retrieved
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872:. Retrieved
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842:. Retrieved
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816:. Retrieved
811:
802:
790:. Retrieved
785:
782:"谋杀或拥毒五死囚正法"
776:
764:. Retrieved
759:
750:
745:(Singapore).
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734:
722:. Retrieved
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708:
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685:. Retrieved
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659:. Retrieved
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633:. Retrieved
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607:. Retrieved
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581:. Retrieved
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555:. Retrieved
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537:
525:. Retrieved
520:
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506:(Singapore).
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468:. Retrieved
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434:"泰工杀同伴向老板自首"
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808:"五名死囚 今早正法"
741:3 SLR 529,
293:Lee Kok Yin
86:Nationality
65:Defu Lane,
40: 1960
1216:Categories
504:High Court
382:"死者头部伤痕累累"
316:References
239:Penal Code
199:Adrian Lim
191:High Court
139:High Court
96:Occupation
330:"5死囚今日正法"
272:death row
167:Singapore
163:Defu Lane
127:Singapore
123:Defu Lane
71:Singapore
1200:11 April
1194:Archived
1170:11 April
1164:Archived
1140:11 April
1134:Archived
1110:11 April
1104:Archived
1080:11 April
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898:Archived
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583:11 April
557:11 April
551:Archived
527:11 April
470:11 April
444:11 April
418:11 April
392:11 April
366:11 April
340:11 April
304:See also
45:Thailand
954:meWATCH
235:hanging
117:worker
67:Hougang
283:and a
281:caning
227:guilty
143:guilty
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