Australian accused of killing Thai teen appears in court as family seeks death penalty

Australian defendant Simon Peter Carman was brought in shackles to Pattaya Provincial Court on Monday for a procedural hearing to designate witnesses, where the family of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla saw him for the first time. Carman, who turns 46 later this month, told the court he would change his plea to guilty on the charge of concealing the victim's corpse after a judge advised him the evidence on that count was strong and that he could expect leniency. He had initially denied all charges.

Carman faces charges of premeditated murder, two counts of indecent behavior involving a minor, and concealing a corpse. A conviction for premeditated murder carries the possibility of the death penalty. The victim's father, Tongchai Donhomla, told reporters he wants the death penalty and the fullest punishment under the law, while her aunt Miruntree Thanachai said the family wants an execution so that no one else suffers the same loss.

Tunchanok was reported missing in Pattaya, a tourism and sex-trade hub about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok. Her body was later found in a suitcase near railway tracks in a deserted area. Police said security footage showed her walking into a condominium with Carman, who was later seen leaving alone with a large suitcase that he loaded onto a motorbike and drove away. Carman was arrested at a Bangkok airport before he could board a flight to Australia, and police said questioning led them to the suitcase.

In a police interrogation video shared online by Thai media, Carman said he acted in self-defense because the girl threatened him with a knife. He also initially claimed he did not know her real age. The victim's father disputed the self-defense account, asking how his child's teeth could have fallen out. Family members said they viewed the body and that her face had been smashed in.

The family said Tunchanok had traveled to Pattaya on vacation from their home in the rural northeastern province of Kalasin. Ahead of Monday's hearing, Miruntree Thanachai told reporters the family had previously asked authorities to see the defendant but were not allowed. On Friday, the family filed a civil case against Carman seeking 1.65 million baht ($49,000) in damages.