đ¨ A CHI-LLING MESSAGE FROM THE VI-CTIMâS FAMILY TO THE SUSPECT IN THE THAILAND MUR-DER CASE⌠AS HIS DARK PAST IS REVEALED
The family of a teenage girl found dead inside a suitcase in Thailand has issued a chilling message to the Australian man charged with her murder.
Details surrounding the life of the man accused of killing a teenage girl and disposing of her body in a suitcase have been uncovered as her family grieve their loss.
Simon Peter Carman, 46, has been charged with the murder of Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase beside a railway track in Pattaya.
According to local reports, Carman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday while attempting to leave the Asian nation.
He has since been charged with murder and burying, concealing, moving or destroying a body to conceal the death or cause of death, and offences relating to taking a minor for indecent purposes.
Simon Carman, a 46-year-old man reportedly from Ballarat, was arrested in Thailand for the alleged murder of 17-year-old Thai girl Tunchanok Donhomla. Picture: Pattaya News
Sources told NewsCorp Australia Carman had regularly travelled and resided in Thailand, having spent near to a decade on and off in the country.
The sources, who claimed to know Carman, said he had been living at the Jontiem Condominium apartments in Pattaya â a spot frequented by Australian and British expats â but largely kept to himself.
One former acquaintance said Carman was a âweird guyâ while other unnamed sources said he was a âsensible drinkerâ and âquiet personâ who had recently lost a large amount of weight.
Carman allegedly told people in Thailand he was from Ballarat in Victoria, however Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan could not confirm whether he was living there before travelling to Thailand.
The teenagerâs father Thongchai Donhomla said the family was âdeeply saddenedâ by the 17-year-oldâs alleged murder.
âMy daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped â me too,â he said according to Reuters.
Speaking to the ABC, the teenagerâs stepmother Oradee Bussarakum said their eyes were âswollen from cryingâ.
She said the young girl, whose nickname was âCakeâ, wanted to go for a holiday with friends and asked her grandmother for money.
âShe was still young, so sometimes we let her go out and gave her 50 to 100 baht,â she said.
âWe were scared. We just hoped it wouldnât turn out the way we feared.
âNow our eyes are swollen from crying.â
She said she wanted the man charged with the alleged murder to feel the full force of the law.
âI told the police I want him executed,â she told Reuters.
Mr Carman has now been charged with the teenâs murder.
The man charged with her alleged murder said he feels âbad for what happenedâ but claimed the situation was âout of my controlâ in a video recorded following his arrest.
Thai media reports Pattaya City Police Superintendent, Colonel Anek Sarathongyu, said Mr Carman had initially been charged with taking a minor for the purpose of committing an indecent act.
The body of a teenage girl was found stuffed in a suitcase alongside a railway track in Pattaya after Mr Carmanâs arrest.
A friend reported the teen missing after walking off with a man, with police tracking her using CCTV footage and seeing her enter the Australianâs building.
âWe believe he killed her, and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder,â the Colonel said before more charges were laid.
âHe has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her.â
He was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport allegedly trying to flee the country. Picture: Pattaya News
The Bangkok Post reports police found signs of a struggle at Mr Carmanâs condominium, as well as his passport, and authorities then arrested him at the airport attempting to buy a ticket to Australia.
The Post reported Mr Carman told police he had not known the 17-year-old before they met and he agreed to pay 1000 baht ($43) âfor her timeâ.
There was an argument over the price at Mr Carmanâs room, The Post reported, âafter which the suspect alleged that the girl picked up a knife to threaten him and demand more moneyâ, the major Thai outlet reports.
âHe claimed he then acted in selfâdefence, grabbing her neck and causing her death. He insisted he had no intention to kill.â
Mr Carman claimed the situation was âout of my controlâ in a video taken after his arrest.
âI feel bad for what happened to your daughter; it was out of my control,â he said in the video.
âI know you will be very sad, upset, same me. It shouldnât happen and I hope you okay, I know youâre not, but I hope.
Mr Carman also tried to explain scratches on his body during the footage, wearing a West Coast Eagles AFL jersey as he sat in the Thai police station.
âI think itâs a spider; they always get in here,â he said.
Local media report the Australian man told police he acted in self-defence.
âPlease tell other girls ⌠just to be careful.â
He was arrested before the body of the 17-year-old girl was discovered abandoned in a suitcase alongside a railway track in Pattaya.
Footage from news outlet ASEAN Now shows police retrieving the suitcase from an area of tall grass, and bringing the bag to the roadside.
Forensic police are seen taking swabs of the suitcase handle.
The footage is then blurred, but police can be seen opening the suitcase; its contents are not clear in the footage.
The teen was last seen entering a residential building in The Gulf coast city about 3.30am on Thursday, local time.
CCTV published by Thai media outlet Buzzin Pattaya shows the teenager holding hands with a man believed to be the arrested Australian.
Police alleged the teenâs body was placed in a suitcase.
It is alleged that the man had picked up the girl from Pattayaâs Beach Road in the early hours, with friends reporting her missing on Friday.
It is then reported Mr Carman was arrested while attempting to board a plan in the Bangkok airport late on Friday night.
At about 11pm local time on Friday, the teenagerâs naked body was found stuffed into a suitcase alongside a railway line â about 10 minutes from the hotel where she was last seen.
Police in Thailand have told Viral Press that the suspect has initially been charged with âtaking a minor for the purpose of committing an indecent actâ.
A Facebook post shared by Pattaya Police identified the girl as Tunchanok Donhomla, who was reported missing by a friend.
The lengthy post reads: âPattaya City Police wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family of the (alleged) victim.â
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday called the allegation âabhorrentâ and said her thoughts are with the teenagerâs family and loved ones.
âWhat is alleged here is just terrible, terrible actions, and my thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim,â Ms Allan said.
âThis is a matter being handled, as Iâm advised, by Thai police ⌠I donât want to say anything that cuts across that investigation, other than to reiterate that this is an allegation of an abhorrent crime, and my thoughts are with the young girlâs family and friends.â
Ms Allan said she did not have any information on whether Mr Carman is from Victoria.
A spokesman for Australian authorities confirmed government departments were aware of the case.
âThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Thailand,â the statement read.
âOwing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.â
NewsWire contacted Australian Federal Police who did not provide comment.
â Additional reporting David Hannant, Blair Jackson and Kate Stephenson
SOURCE: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/australian-man-held-in-thailand-accused-of-gruesome-suitcase-murder/news-story/878787a5261369110dde1164dc7be16b