An Australian man accused of murdering a Thai teenager and placing her body in a suitcase pleaded not guilty on Friday in a hearing in the Thai resort city of Pattaya, a court official stated.
Simon Peter Carman, 45, was arrested in June after 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla was reported missing in Pattaya City. Her body was subsequently found in a suitcase, and police said she died of suffocation.
Mr Carman appeared at Pattaya provincial court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, concealing a body, and taking a minor for indecent purposes, a court spokesperson confirmed.
Police previously stated that CCTV footage showed Mr Carman entering a Pattaya condominium with the girl on 25 June and later leaving with a large black suitcase. In a police interrogation video, Mr Carman reportedly said he acted in self-defence, claiming the girl threatened him with a knife.