The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday sentenced the former chief of security guards at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Chamkarmon district to two years in prison for beating a reporter from Hang Meas Television over the head with a walkie-talkie in July.

The sentence was suspended and the term of incarceration changed to three months from the day of the arrest.

On that day, July 20, Kerth Phally, a 48-year-old woman who led the security guard unit, confronted the reporter, Leng Sovann Sothea, while he was trying to cover a story at the hospital about transport costs for the victim of a traffic accident by filming footage of the dead man, according to his version of events.

Phally, however, says he kicked her first.

Municipal court judge Nou Veasna said Phally was arrested the same day and charged with committing violent acts with aggravating circumstances.

“He came into the hospital without authorisation. He kicked me down when I tried to stop him from filming the images inside the hospital,” she said.

She added that she has already paid $4,000 in compensation to Sovann Sothea.