Members of the family of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found in a suitcase near Pattaya, Thailand attended a court hearing, where they saw the Australian man accused of killing her for the first time, ABC Australia reported. Police arrested Simon Peter Carman was arrested at a Bangkok airport before boarding a flight to Australia after Tunchanok Donhomla was reported missing. The suitcase containing her body was found soon afterward near railway tracks in a deserted area.
Authorities said the girl was last seen alive on security footage. She was walking into a condominium with Carman. Afterward, he was later seen leaving the building alone, carrying a large suitcase. Security footage showed him loading the suitcase onto a motorbike and driving away.
The 46-year-old Carman appeared before the Pattaya Provincial Court on Monday for a procedural hearing to designate witnesses. He has been charged with murder, two counts of indecent behavior involving a minor, and concealing a corpse. If convicted of premeditated murder, he could face the death penalty.
Suspect has no remorse of his actions
During the hearing, Carman has agreed to plead guilty to the charge of concealing a corpse. In the courtroom, one of the victim’s aunts, Khanitta Nongkhampoon, addressed him directly through a translator. Carman said he felt devastated, but he did not apologize to the family, again insisting that he acted only in self-defense. “You are so evil, you did wrong but have no remorse,” said Khanitta. “You cannot give us even just an apology.”
The confrontation which was not put on the court record, left Khanitta and another aunt, Miruntree Thanachai, in tears. “I feel angry, angry. I was angrier and more hurt when I heard his answer like this,” Khanitta told reporters afterward.
Carman previously claimed that he was defending himself because the teenager was threatening him with a knife. He said he didn’t know her real age. “Simon claimed that it was self-defense, but this is not self-defense because if it is self-defense, how can my child’s teeth fall out? I want to ask,” the victim’s father, Tongchai Donhomla, told reporters.
Tunchanok’s family is advocating for Carman to receive the death penalty. “I want the death penalty, but there is nothing I can do. I want the law to punish to the fullest,” he said. Tunchanok’s aunt, Miruntree, echoed his sentiment. “We want the execution because we don’t want this to happen to others again. No one can bear this kind of damage,” she said. The grieving family also filed a case against Carman in civil court, asking for damages of $49,000.
Published: Oct 13, 2026 11:59 am