A 58-year-old Battambang man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly beating his wife to death in their home in Serei Meanchey commune.
Pich Sarean, district police chief, identified the suspect as Heur Nhork, 58, and the victim as Chrun Horn, 42. The couple lived alone in their home as their grown children had migrated to work in Thailand.
“They drank together on the day of the incident [Monday], and they had an argument,” he said. “The husband slapped his wife, and they fought each other, causing the woman to fall down the house.”
Sarean said the victim then slept downstairs in a hammock, but that suspect had berated her to come upstairs. When the victim refused, the suspect allegedly went down and cut the hammock, causing her to fall, before allegedly striking her on the back with a machete.The woman died the next day.
“The wife’s body was bruised and had injuries on the eyes and on the back,” he said. “They regularly drank together and got into arguments, but they never sought divorce. When he discovered his wife was dead, he screamed for help.”
Police have accused Nhork of intentional violence, which carries a punishment of anywhere between one and three years in prison, and a fine between 2 million riel and 6 million riel (about $500 and $1,500), according to the criminal code. He was scheduled to appear in court yesterday.
