Takhmoa town police officers sent a suspect to the Kandal Provincial Court on Monday for setting fire to his house and hitting a policeman who went to put out the fire. The incident happened in Takdol commune, Takhmao town on Sunday.

Takhmao town deputy police chief Khut Sothea said on Monday that the suspect Thorn Sambath, 27 lives in Takdol commune and was sent to the court on Monday.

“I do not know how the court will decide. This case is no longer in my hands. Only the court can decide if he will be detained,” he said.

Kandal Provincial Court spokesman So Sarin could not be reached for comment.

Phorn Liko, the 27-year-old policeman from Takdol commune who was injured, said on Monday that Sambath is a drug addict. He destroyed his belongings, burnt his house and hit him.

Before the incident on Sunday, Sambath was mad at his mother because she locked the house after he used a lot of drugs. Sambath then destroyed two motorbikes and burnt the house, causing everything in it to be destroyed, Liko said.

While Sambath was performing the act, the mother came to seek intervention from the police, said Liko.

“I then operated a fire truck from Kandal provincial police office to put out the fire. Sambath lay on the road aiming to block the fire truck. I went to wake him up and he was mad. He hit me with a belt and I sustained head injuries,” he said.

The properties that were damaged included a house, two motorbikes, five chy of gold (18.75g), $2,000 and two million riel in cash among others.