Australian Carman claims self-defense in case of 17-year-old Thai girl’s death
45-year-old Australian Simon Peter Carman, accused of murdering 17-year-old Thai citizen Thunchanok Donhomla, said he acted in self-defense. In an interview with ABC News Australia, recorded at Pattaya Remand Prison, he said he had tried to stop the girl, who, according to him, threatened him with a knife.
Carman has been in custody for nearly two months and denies all four charges brought against him. They include murder, concealing a body, and abducting a minor for indecent purposes. If found guilty of murder, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The accused’s account
According to Carman, he met Thunchanok, whom relatives and friends called Cake, on a street in Pattaya, where she was with two female friends. He claims that the girl went to his residence, although he does not know why she did so.
Asked about surveillance footage showing them entering the elevator of his residential complex holding hands, Carman said he did not remember this but was prepared to believe the video recording. He also said he did not know the girl was underage and believed she was between 25 and 35 years old.
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The Australian claims that he gave Thunchanok 500 baht, after which she allegedly demanded more money and pulled out a knife. According to his version, during a physical struggle he repeatedly asked her to put down the knife, and later she stopped moving. Carman admitted that he called neither the police nor an ambulance, explaining this by his distrust of the police.
Police evidence and the course of the case
Thai police accuse Carman of meeting the 17-year-old girl on Beach Road in Pattaya in the early hours of June 25, killing her, and disposing of her body. Two days later, Thunchanok’s body was found in a suitcase left near railway tracks close to his residence.
Surveillance cameras also recorded Carman dragging a large suitcase from the building and transporting it on a motorcycle at night. He was detained on June 27 at Bangkok International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Perth.
Pattaya Police Colonel Anek Sratongyu said investigators had completed the investigation and were to submit the case materials to the Pattaya prosecutor’s office. According to him, a forensic examination established that Thunchanok suffered a brain injury and died of asphyxiation. Police also reported that Carman’s DNA matched samples found on the girl’s body. The victim’s father, Thonchai Donhomla, said he wanted the harshest punishment for the accused.
