04 March 2014 :

Swede Tommy Viktor Soderlund was sentenced to death for murder before a Phuket judge commuted the term to life imprisonment today.
The judge commuted the sentence because Soderlund had been responsive and cooperative in explaining what transpired in the case. Soderlund had pleaded not guilty and another Swede, Johan Sebastian Ljung, pleaded guilty to the murder of Maksim Schantz on August 1, 2011, on Phuket.
As a result of their different pleas, the men were tried separately.
Ljung, who was sentenced to life in January, has appealed against his sentence. Soderlund has 30 days in which to appeal, lawyer Phychaya Titapattarong, who now acts for both men, said today.
Schantz died from a knife wound that severed his jugular vein at a block of luxury villas in Phuket City. Ljung was also ordered to pay compensation to Schantz's mother of 12.5 million baht, with interest of 7.5 percent dating back to June 21, 2012.
Yvonne Schantz sued both men for compensation but there was no compensation mentioned in court today. Mrs Schantz, who once lived near her son in Pattaya, where he and Soderlund fell out, now lives in Sweden. She was not in court today.
Soderlund's mother, father and stepmother were in court and declined to comment.
Soderlund was also sentenced to nine years in jail for theft of a motorcycle. He and Ljung stole the motorcycle at gunpoint as they fled the scene of Schantz's knifing in Phuket City. The pair were arrested the following day.