A man who allegedly killed his wife with a machete was sent by Stung Trang district police to Kampong Cham Provincial Police headquarters on Monday following his arrest on Saturday in Stung Trang district’s Peam Koh Sna commune.
Stung Trang district police chief Pak Cheat said the suspect was 57 years old, while his wife was 61.
The couple were residents of Peam Koh Sna commune, he said.
Cheat said on Sunday: “Today, he is still at my police station and I will send him to court tomorrow. This matter arose from a minor argument.”
Citing a witness, Cheat said that at 9pm on Saturday before the incident, the suspect sent his wife out to buy some ice.
But after it took her more than an hour to return home, he said, the suspect reprimanded his wife, they began to argue, and eventually, a scuffle broke out.
During their dispute, Cheat said, the woman ran to grab a knife and attempted to slit her husband’s throat.
Cheat said she drew blood but the suspect managed to break free, grabbed a machete and slit his wife’s own throat. The woman then died from her injuries in their house, he said.
“Neighbours immediately reported the incident to the commune police, which arrived shortly afterwards and arrested the suspect,” Cheat said.
He said the couple had six children but they were all married and no longer lived with their parents, who lived alone in the house. The victim was an alcoholic, Cheat said, while the suspect suffered from amnesia.
Three or fourth months ago, he said, the suspect attempted to commit suicide by drinking rat poison, but his wife and some neighbours took him to hospital and saved his life.
“Following Saturday’s incident, the couple’s children came to ask the police to release their father. But because of the nature of the crime, the police had to enforce the law,” Cheat said.
Chan Hor, the deputy head of the provincial police’s serious crimes bureau, said the suspect was sent by his police to the provincial court on Monday afternoon.
