Dark night for dim man who challenged three

The numbers were against a 26-year-old man who tried to steal a motorbike from three passengers in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district on Saturday night. Police said the suspect threatened to bludgeon the trio with a baton, but, confident in their superior manpower, the three not-exactly victims beat up the would-be thief before handing him over to police. The suspect told the cops that in the dark, he had believed he was up against just one passenger,  not three.  Koh Santepheap  

Man sets house ablaze in fiery fit of anger, loss

Furious that his wife had left him for a job in Thailand, a man in Kampong Chhnang province’s Boribor district set fire to his house on Monday. Police said the man started the fire after returning home from filing a complaint to the commune chief against his wife, who had left a three-year-old daughter behind with him. Fortunately, neighbours and local authorities managed to put the fire out before it spread to other houses. Kampuchea Thmey

Hunter hunted: tourist thwarts, detains robber

A 24-year-old woman who was arrested in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district on Saturday admitted having grabbed many a foreign visitor’s purse before one finally managed to grab her. Police said the suspect had snatched the foreign woman’s purse while the woman was browsing wares in the market, but the tourist quickly caught the thief and handed her over to police, who sent her to court. Rasmey Kampuchea

Battambang battering after man goes batty

A 25-year-old man was arrested in Battambang town on Monday after going batty on his father-in-law three days before. Police said the man would routinely get drunk and beat his wife, who on Friday finally had enough and refused to return home. The man warned her that if she did not return, he would beat her father instead, but she didn’t believe him. Making good on his threat, the angry husband beat his father-in-law until he passed out. Police sent the attacker to court.  Rasmey Kampuchea

Serial burglar a New Year’s surprise for cops

Sihanoukville police arres-ted a 22-year-old man on Monday as he was allegedly attempting to steal more than his share of Khmer New Year cheer. The man was trying to beat down the door of a house whose occupants had left for the holiday when police on patrol spotted him. Neighbours notified the home’s owners, who verified that the intruder had not managed to steal anything before he was caught. The suspect admitted that Monday’s attempt had followed several previous successful acts of thievery, and he was sent to court. Kampuchea Thmey

Translated by Sen David