A deaf-mute man accused of stabbing to death a man he says often bullied him and had tried to rob his old grandmother was yesterday bailed out by one of the many people impressed by his love for the 77-year-old woman. Investigators have pressed a murder charge against Ake Kalanil, 21, over the death of Sonthaya Kettancharoen, Pol Maj Wongsakorn Muenkhiew, an inspector at Huai Khwang police station, said.
Mr Ake told investigators that Sonthaya had robbed and hurt his grandmother, Joi Phobang, at a Din Daeng flat early on Monday.
He had intervened and this angered Sonthaya who came back on Monday to bully him and try to take the money he earned as a parking attendant.
That was when he lost his patience and stabbed the man to death.
Police yesterday sought court approval for Mr Ake's continued detention.
They said they had yet to establish whether he intentionally killed the man or acted in self-defence while helping his grandmother.
Pol Lt-Col Yingyos Inthaburan, the deputy chief investigator, said the case attracted wide public attention. Many people had contacted the station and offered to bail out Mr Ake because they were impressed with the way he loved and took care of the elderly woman.
He said police would consider granting bail if it was confirmed the man had a permanent residence and relatives to look after him.
However, Pol Maj-Gen Pramote Pathumwong, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's division 1, said police must follow the law and let the court decide because the suspect allegedly killed a man even though he might have been trying to protect his grandmother.
Later, however, the suspect was finally bailed out by a middle-ranking policeman from the Narcotics Suppression Division who used his position to go guarantor.
The suspect's grandmother said she had raised her only grandson since the death of his mother.
``Ake was often bullied by other people. Some hit him. Some threw stones at him. Some splashed water on him.
``Usually, he was docile and never fought back. But he might have run out of patience this time,'' she said.
Mr Ake allegedly stabbed Sonthaya about 10 times with a fruit knife. Then he waited at the scene to surrender to police. His grandmother and neighbours were there too, and begged police not to take action against him.