‘Popcorn gunman’ goes free after getting 37 yrs

Bangkok, June 27: A Thai appeals court on Tuesday overturned a murder conviction of a gunman who gained national notoriety for allegedly firing an assault rifle concealed inside a popcorn bag during political clashes in 2014.

The ruling is likely to reignite anger over a perceived bias in Thailand’s court system, which is seen as overwhelmingly tilted in favour of the conservative, Army-allied political faction the gunman was linked to.

Wiwat Yodprasit, known as the “popcorn gunman”, was sentenced to 37 years in prison last March for allegedly killing a bystander during the daytime shootout between his ‘Yellowshirt’ camp and rival ‘Redshirt’ protesters.

Shortly after his arrest, Wiwat told reporters he was paid $9 a day to act as a guard for his anti-government camp, which agitated for the coup that brought the current junta to power.

But an appeals court ruled that his confession, which he later retracted, was “doubtful”.