A policeman who murdered a father and his teenage son in their own home in Phnom Penh was sentenced to 12 years in jail late last week.

Police officer Meas Vongsaneath was ordered to pay 80 million riels [around US$20,000] in compensation after shooting dead 47-year-old Long Hun and his 16-year-old son Long Lyheng with an AK-47 last July following an argument.

Long Hun’s wife, Ou Soy, and her son-in-law Dul Sovann, 35, were also shot when the 44-year-old policeman burst into the family’s home in Sen Sok district’s Phnom Penh Thmey commune with a gun. They, however, survived the attack.

At Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday, presiding judge Ker Sakhorn handed down the verdict, adding that the former official could appeal within 30 days.

“The court has ordered him to pay 80 million riels in compensation to Ou Soy, the wife and the mother of the two victims,” he said.

I will be meeting with my client and his family soon in order to discuss his appeal

During a trial last month, the prosecution said that tension between the official and the family had been sparked after Long Hun looked at the policeman’s face while driving his motorbike in Rong Chak village.

A violent brawl later broke out between their respective relations and, five minutes after the fight ended, Meas Vongsaneath allegedly burst into the victims’ home and shot four members of the family. He escaped, but was caught by authorities two hours later.

Yesterday, widow Ou Soy told The Post that the verdict was “unjust” and demanded a harsher sentence for the killer of her husband and son.

The policeman’s defence lawyer Khov Naro, however, said that his client was also not also satisfied with his sentence.

“He had no intention in killing the victims as accused. He decided to shot them in order to defend himself only because the victims’ [family] had more members [than his own] and had beaten him,” he said.

“I will be meeting with my client and his family soon, in order to discuss his appeal.”

Survivors of the attack Ou Soy and Dul Sovann were also sentenced last week to one year of probation each and given fines of 10 million riel [$2,500] for their roles in the initial brawl.