The Kompong Cham Provincial Court on Wednesday charged a farmer with murder after he allegedly hacked his sister-in-law to death over a minor land dispute in Kompong Siem district on Monday, according to local police.
District police chief Pak Cheat said the suspect, Pin Vara, 41, attacked his sister-in-law Sek Srey, 48, with a machete outside her house at about 5:30 p.m. after becoming enraged about her claim to a 3-meter by 8-meter plot of land between their two homes in Koh Raka commune.
“Before the incident, the suspect got drunk in his home,” Mr. Cheat said.
“When he saw the victim go behind her house to urinate, he used a machete to attack her.”
Mr. Cheat said the farmer struck Sek Srey’s head four times and she died on the way to the hospital.
Deputy provincial police chief Heng Vuthy said the pair had been arguing over the tiny plot of land for about a year.
“The suspect admitted that he killed the victim because he was drunk and angry that the victim grabbed his land,” Mr. Vuthy said. “The court officials charged him with murder,” he added.
