Police in Banteay Meanchey province are searching for a young man who beat his wife to death with a piece of firewood on Tuesday night after the two were thrown out of a funeral for drunkenly arguing among themselves, officials said Wednesday.
After leaving the funeral in Mongkul Borei district at about 11 p.m., Teun Sok, 21, and his wife Peok Kim Huon, 40, argued their way to Mr. Sok’s grandmother’s house, where Mr. Sok used a piece of firewood to beat his wife, according to Hor Somnath, chief of the district police’s penal bureau.
“After they argued for a while, villagers came to try to stop them from fighting, and then the husband fled and the wife was left conscious,” he said, adding that both had been intoxicated.
Mr. Somnath said Poek Kim Huon was then taken inside the home of Mr. Sok’s grandmother to rest, but succumbed to her injuries at about midnight. Commune chief Im Sam Ath said Mr. Sok likely attacked his wife out of jealousy.
“The reason for their argument was that the wife did not work and would drink with anyone who would buy her alcohol,” he said.
Mr. Somnath said police were searching for Mr. Sok while continuing to investigate the case.
