Joe Ferrari: Ex-Thai police chief convicted of suspect killing

A former Thai police chief has been sentenced to life in jail after being found guilty of murder by torture, in a case that sparked national outrage over police brutality.

Thitisan Utthanaphon was nicknamed Joe Ferrari for his many luxury cars.

In August, he was arrested after a leaked video surfaced showing him and colleagues wrapping plastic bags around the head of a 24-year-old drug suspect in an interrogation.

The suspect eventually died.

On Wednesday, a Thai court found the 41-year-old guilty of murder by torture and sentenced him to death. However the death sentence was immediately reduced to life imprisonment.

The court cited his attempts to revive the suspect, and that he had paid for the funeral expenses for the family.

Five of the six other officers involved in the interrogation were also convicted of murder and given life sentences. A seventh received a smaller sentence due to his testimony.

The father of the victim said felt "helpless during the ruling, and my wife was crying," AFP reported.

Jakkrit Klandi said outside the court on Wednesday: "All seven officers should learn their lesson and pay for their crime."

Footage of the brutal police interrogation went viral last year, prompting Thitisan to flee his post.

He later surrendered to police, and in a press conference organised by police, he claimed the suspect's death was an accident.

"I did not intend to kill him... I intended to get the information so I can destroy the drug business," he said.

He also denied accusations that he had demanded a bribe from the suspect during the encounter.

According to local reports, the alleged torture occurred after the suspect was told to double a bribe that had been agreed for his release and that of his girlfriend.

He was ordered to pay 2 million baht (£46,000; $58,000) to have his charges dropped and was attacked when he refused, according to The Bangkok Post newspaper, which cited a whistleblower's complaint lodged with the police.

The case struck a nerve in Thailand where the police force has been accused of being incompetent and corrupt.

In the investigation into Thitisan after his arrest, authorities found that he lived in a luxury home in Bangkok, and estimated that he had amassed a fortune of at least 42 cars, with one of them worth 47 million baht (£1.8m; $1.3m).