A mentally ill man was arrested yesterday in Oddar Meanchey province’s Samroang town and accused of murdering his younger brother, who had shamed him for sharing food with a chicken.

According to police officials, Ki Chanra, 24, returned home from buying alcohol on Friday night at about 9pm and found his brother, Ki Resmey, 28, having dinner alone in his bed with a chicken that was eating from the same plate as his older brother.

Ouch Mao, chief of Somroang commune police, said that Chanra mocked Resmey for allowing the chicken into his bed, causing a heated argument, which escalated violently when Resmey grabbed a hoe and hacked Chanra to death.

Resmey fled the scene, leaving the bloody hoe behind. Fortunately, the brothers’ grandfather witnessed the incident and alerted police, who arrested Resmey within 30 minutes.

“He could not [physically] help his grandson because he is too old,” Mao explained, adding that despite the grandfather’s account, Resmey “refused” to confess.

According to Mao, Resmey suffered from mental illness caused by longtime drug use.

Mis Samley, a provincial police official, said yesterday that the suspect was sent to the court and charged with causing intentional violence.

Resmey is now being held in provincial prison, he said, “For further investigation and for a health check as well.”