Story By: Les Steed, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A Belgian man has escaped the death penalty in Thailand after he was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s new lover when he tried to help the man during a medical emergency.
Kevin Maes, 34, from the city of Antwerp, was accused of killing Sarah Gieghase’s new lover Siva Ramalingam in Thailand in 2016.
The incident happened when Sarah’s parent’s told him to go to Sarah and Siva’s apartment as Siva was intoxicated and behaving aggressively.
Kevin and a friend held Siva, who was an ex-footballer from Singapore, down and called an ambulance.
He was conscious when he got into an ambulance but had a heart attack on the way to the hospital.
The men at the house were arrested and charged with murder, but have now been let out after four years and four months of protracted legal wrangling over whether they should be charged with murder or manslaughter.
Kevin’s friend fled the country in 2018, leaving him standing in the dock alone during legal proceedings.
He has now been given a two-year suspended sentence as of 17th September, when he told his friends “It’s all over”.
He told HLN: “I had prepared for the worst and in my head, I had already said goodbye to friends and family.
“At the start of the case, I was immediately handcuffed, while at first instance and on appeal this was not necessary at all.
“There appeared to be a judge in training, which meant that all protocol had to be carried out more strictly than usual, but that doesn’t feel very nice when they suddenly handcuff you.”
Kevin heard the final verdict following a closed High Court trial that was then read to him through a lower court through a translator who “was especially good at listening and not translating” Kevin said.
“Reading that letter took half an hour, perhaps the longest half hour of my life.
“When everything was finally said, and it turned out that I should not go to the Thai prison, I fell down in my chair in relief.
“You try to prepare for such an emotional moment, but you can’t. A person cannot prepare for such a moment.”
Kevin remains in Thailand where he must report to probation officers twice a year. He is hoping to see his family again next spring.
Murder, even without aggravating circumstances, is on the list of Thai capital offences that also includes treason, arson, rape, drug possession (more than 20 grammes (0.7 oz) of a Category 1 substance), kidnapping, coercion, and terrorism.
There are currently around 551 people on death row in Thailand, 193 of whom have exhausted all appeals.
Thailand uses lethal injection as its sole method of execution but has not put anyone to death since 2018, when they killed a 26-year-old convicted of murder. He was one of three executions performed since 2003.
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