Shooting off mouth fails, so drunk reaches for gun

Hiding his gun after the fact didn’t keep a Pursat man out of cuffs on Friday. Police in Veal Veng district said the 20-year-old had gotten into a drunken argument with a neighbour and, his debate skills failing him, produced a pistol, which he fired into the air. Knowing the cops were on the way, he hid the gun, only to melt under questioning and show them where he’d hid it. Before being sent to court, police said, he explained that he had “found” the gun in Phnom Penh. Nokorwat

Stick-wielding farmer beats fruit thief to a pulp

A seemingly disproportionate response left a teen fruit thief seriously injured on Saturday. The 16-year-old had climbed a palm tree and was picking the fruit when the tree’s owner, a farmer, materialised with a wooden stick in hand. Furious, the farmer bashed the teen on the legs and waist until hospitalisation was required. The parents filed a complaint with police and the farmer has been arrested for intentional injury. Nokorwat

Dope-dealing delivery dude detained by cops

Another Phnom Penh drug delivery service went belly up Saturday night thanks to quick-thinking cops. Acting on a tip, police staked out a dark spot and waited, pouncing when the 26-year-old showed up ready to unload his product. The bust saw police confiscate six packages of yama, along with $130, three mobiles and the would-be dealer’s moto. Police said the suspect later confessed he’d been down to deal when busted. Nokorwat

Never look gift horse in mouth, psycho in eyes

A 22-year-old man is behind bars after attacking a trio of bystanders with a cleaver on Saturday when they “looked at his face”. Police said the three men, aged 20, 21 and 34, were visiting a park when the antagonist became incensed that they’d looked him in the eye. The one-on-three odds became irrelevant once the cleaver came into play, with two of the men emerging with injuries. Their shouts for help alerted police, who arrested the cleaver-wielder and sent him to court. Kampuchea Thmey

Phnom Penh mobile thief not mobile enough

A woman's call was cut short Monday when a pair of mobile phone thieves snatched her iPhone mid-sentence in Phnom Penh. Police said the woman was a passenger on a moto when the two men, driving a bike in the opposite direction, snatched the gadget. Their success was short-lived, however, as patrolling cops heard her scream and came to the rescue, arresting half of the duo, while the other managed to flee to safety. The iPhone was found at the scene and returned to the victim. Koh Santepheap

Translated by Phak Seangly