Australian man pleads not guilty to murder of Thai teen girl found in suitcase

An Australian man, Simon Peter Carman, 45, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 17-year-old Thai girl. Carman was arrested at a Bangkok airport in June as he was attempting to fly back to Australia, following a report from the victim's friend that she was missing. The teenager's body was discovered in a suitcase near a railway track in Pattaya, a coastal city south of Bangkok. Police have stated that the cause of death was suffocation. Carman's defense in court cited self-defense.

Australian national Simon Peter Carman, 45, pleaded not guilty in a Pattaya court on Friday to charges including murder, concealing a body, and taking a minor for indecent purposes. He is accused of killing 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla, whose body was found in a suitcase shortly after she was reported missing in Pattaya City in June. Police stated the teenager died of suffocation. Carman was arrested in June, and CCTV footage reportedly showed him entering a condominium with the girl and later leaving with a large suitcase. During interrogation, Carman claimed he acted in self-defense, stating the girl threatened him with a knife. The next court date is scheduled for October 12.