– What has happened has hurt me deep in my heart and soul. It has had major consequences for me, my family and not least her family. I share their grief, says the 41-year-old in court.
A year has passed since he strangled Banglek and hit her in the head with two training manuals. He says that it was never meant to kill her.
The prosecution believes that he is understating the murders in his explanation.
Meet at bingo
The murder suspect came to Norway more than ten years ago with his wife. Since then they have had several children.
– I had the opportunity to integrate into Norwegian society and have had a very nice everyday life with few problems, says the man, who also describes a safe and good working situation.
A couple of years ago he visited a bingo hall where he met the late Banglek.
The two greeted each other and eventually became friends, he says.
LOCKED OFF: The police spent a lot of time combing through the 21 square meter dormitory. Photo: Truls Aagedal / TV 2
One day when he stopped by the bingo to drink coffee, he met Banglek, who seemed sad.
– She had wasted a lot of money and wondered if I could lend her NOK 2,000. She was so upset, so I gave her the money, he says.
– A killing look
According to the accused murderer, Banglek also initiated an intimate relationship. He claims that he himself was not really interested, but that the two nevertheless had intercourse once.
The two continued to be friends, and the defendant continued to lend Banglek money. In the end, the debt was at least NOK 300,000, he estimates.
– She said she was going to sell her house in Thailand to get the money to pay back, says the 41-year-old.
– Then I heard that she had sold the house a long time ago and squandered all the money. I didn’t confront her about it, but I stopped lending her money, he says.
TRACE SECURED: In the snow, the police managed to secure three footwear prints that match the defendant’s shoes. Photo: Truls Aagedal / TV 2
On Friday 7 January last year, the two had met at the bingo and gone home to Banglek. He finally decided to confront her about the money she owed him.
– I asked if she had sold the house. Then she looked at me with a deadly look. I tried to speak to her calmly, but she just kept playing on the phone and didn’t answer me, he explains.
“God, what happened?”
The accused says that he started to get irritated. He therefore took the phone from her.
– She started swearing at me. I’ve never experienced that before and I got angry. I said: “How can you do this when you know how much good I have done for you?”, explains the 41-year-old.
Sitting on the sofa, he grabbed around her neck, while she allegedly tried to claw him to get him to let go.
ENTRANCE PARTY: The Thai woman lived in Lier. Photo: Truls Aagedal / TV 2
Following the incident, the police found semen from the defendant on a carpet in the dormitory. He believes this was the second and last time they had sex.
– She threatened to call my wife and tell everything, says the man, who explains that his wife did not know about either the gambling debt or the contact he had with the elderly Thai woman.
The defendant completely lost control, he says.
– She has two training manuals by the sofa there. I took one in each hand and hit her in the head. When I saw her lying on the floor, I thought, “God, what happened? How is this possible?”.
“Sukanya! Sukanya!”
The man has explained that he thought Banglek died from the blows to the head, but the autopsy has shown that she died from suffocation. He has no explanation for this.
– I tried to hear if she was breathing and tried as best I could to help her. I put a pillow under her head and took her pulse on her neck, but there was no reaction. I shouted, “Sukanya! Sukanya!” but there was no sign of life.
The accused repeats several times that he is struggling to understand what happened.
– In three days it will be a year ago. For me, every second, every minute, every day and every week has been spent thinking about how this could happen, he says.
Thanks the police
When he realized that the woman was dead, the defendant left her dormitory.
In the car on the way home, he called his wife and told her what had happened.
– She was shocked and started to cry, he says.
MEETING POINT: Defendant and victim used to meet at a bingo hall in Drammen. Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
The killer took a shower before calling the police.
– I called and said something so serious had happened that I was unable to explain it, and I asked if they could come and collect me, he says.
The police nevertheless got Banglek’s name and rushed to the scene.
At the same time, they drove to the defendant’s home and arrested him. In court, he is grateful that the police arrested him in a calm and controlled manner, and for the treatment he has received during a year in custody.
Pleads partially guilty
Despite repeated questions from both state attorney Vibeke Gjøslien and defense attorney Jon Anders Hasle, the defendant evasively answers questions about the relationship with Banglek.
When asked by lawyer Hasle whether the relationship had primarily to do with gambling, he replies that he “thinks so”.
DEFENDER: Lawyer Jon Anders Hasle represents the 41-year-old accused of murder in court. Photo: Tor Henning Flaatten / TV 2
He has admitted partial guilt in the case, but is clear that he never intended to kill the 69-year-old.
Hasle therefore believes that his client should be sentenced for violence resulting in death and not for murder.
– The violence was carried out out of frustration, without any thought that the outcome could be as it was, says Hasle to TV 2.
The lawyer for Bangle’s surviving son does not want to comment on the case.
On Wednesday, the parties will hold their proceedings in the case.
