April 2017, Arthur Segarra sentenced to death.
A Spanish man was sentenced to death by a Thai court on Friday after being found guilty of murdering a fellow Spaniard in a gruesome manner. Artur Segarra Princep had been accused of committing premeditated murder while stealing from David Bernat, aged 40.
Parts of Bernat's dismembered body were discovered in Bangkok's Chao Phraya River in February of the previous year, while Segarra's Bangkok apartment showed traces of Bernat's bloodstains and DNA.
Segarra's attorney declared that his client denied the accusations and planned to appeal, maintaining that Segarra had not committed murder and that theft and murder were distinct offenses.
As part of the investigation, authorities discovered a freezer at Segarra's residence believed to have been used to store the victim's body. They also found a book that contained instructions on dismembering human remains.
According to police, Segarra allegedly abducted and tortured Bernat to coerce him into transferring funds into Segarra's bank account. After killing Bernat, Segarra dismembered the body to conceal the crime. Although the theft charge related to an amount of 80,000 baht ($2,285), police suspect that a much larger sum was stolen.
Segarra was apprehended in Cambodia and extradited to Thailand to stand trial in February of the previous year. Worasit mentioned that in addition to being found guilty of misusing the victim's ATM card, Segarra was convicted of other charges. However, the death penalty rendered the other sentences irrelevant.
While being photographed by reporters in his holding cell on Friday, Segarra displayed the palm of his hand with the inscription "Lucas 23:34," which refers to the Biblical passage, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
In Thailand, executions are rare.
Feb 2016, Bernat murdered at city condo.
According to DNA testing, the room of Artur Segarra Princep, the main suspect in the murder of his Spanish compatriot David Bernat, was where the victim was killed and dismembered. Bloodstains from Mr Segarra's room at the PG Rama IX Condominium in Huai Khwang district contained DNA samples that matched Bernat.
Bernat was reported missing on the night of January 20 after CCTV footage showed him riding a motorcycle with Mr Segarra from his apartment.
The investigation revealed that Bernat was detained, tortured, and killed in Segarra's room before his body was chopped up and discarded into the river. The investigation has made significant progress, according to Pol Gen Panya. However, authorities are still searching for the locations where the body parts, tools used in the crime, and Bernat's motorcycle were discarded.
Although DNA samples of an unidentified man and woman were found in Mr Segarra's rented house, no DNA of the victim was found there. Pol Gen Panya believed that Segarra acted alone in killing Bernat but may have had accomplices in dismembering the body and disposing of the parts. DNA samples from Mr Segarra's motorcycle were collected to confirm that he used the vehicle to escape.
According to his girlfriend, Pritsana Saen-ubon, the motorcycle was abandoned near the Sombat border market in Surin's border district of Kap Choeng after he fled a karaoke bar in Surin's Muang district. He was later arrested in Cambodia and extradited to Thailand.
The money trail between the suspect and the victim, as well as DNA samples, indicated that Mr Segarra could be responsible for Bernat's murder. More than B37 million was wired twice from Bernat's account in Singapore to Mr Segarra's account, and several million baht was withdrawn from his account on Feb 4. Despite the clear evidence, Pol Gen Panya said that authorities needed to gather more clues to ensure that Mr Segarra would be brought to justice.
Aug 2020, Death penalty reduced to life sentence.
The death penalty sentence of Catalan businessman Artur Segarra, who was convicted of killing a fellow Catalan engineer in Thailand, will be reduced to life imprisonment. King Rama X of Thailand signed a decree commuting the sentences of eligible prisoners to life imprisonment, including Segarra.
The country's justice ministry has confirmed this decision and explained that the prison authorities now have 120 days to update the sentence and submit it to the justice department for approval.
The pardon allows for Segarra's extradition to Spain, which he has been seeking. However, he must serve at least four years in prison and pay compensation to the family of David Bernat, the victim of the crime.
Although Segarra has been imprisoned since February 2016, he lost his final appeal against the death penalty in November 2019 and later asked for a royal pardon in a confession letter.
Kidnapped before getting killed.
It was discovered by the police that Bernat was kidnapped by Segarra on January 19, 2016 and held captive in his apartment for seven days until he was killed. Evidence found in Segarra's apartment included traces of Bernat's blood and footage of the victim entering the building, but not leaving alive.
Segarra was sentenced for "premeditated murder with the intention of stealing money from the victim," as Bernat was extorted for approximately €900,000 before his death.
The investigation also revealed unusual bank transfers that occurred after Bernat's murder. Segarra was found to have dismembered Bernat's body, froze it, and disposed of parts of it in a Bangkok river. He then fled to Cambodia on a motorbike where he was later identified by a Spanish couple dining with his partner in a restaurant near the northern border of Cambodia.
Bernat's family was unaware of his disappearance until an English friend called his sister on February 1 as he had not heard from Bernat who was supposed to have arrived in Tehran ten days prior. Bernat was from l'Albi in the western Garrigues county, while Segarra was born in Terrassa.