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The Thai woman accused of killing 14 of her friends is sentenced to death

Thai

Photo: EPA

A woman in Thailand has been sentenced to death in the first of a series of cases in which she is accused of killing 14 of her friends with cyanide.

A court in Bangkok has found Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn guilty of poisoning a friend's food and drink while they were on a trip last year. Her family had refused to accept that her death was of natural causes, so the autopsy revealed signs of cyanide in the body. Police then arrested Sararat and discovered similar deaths since 2015.

Police said she targeted friends who owed money and stole jewelry and valuables, the BBC reported.

Her ex-husband, who was also a policeman, was sentenced to 1 year and four months in prison for concealing evidence that would help her prosecution. The police have said that it is likely that he helped Sararati poison an ex-boyfriend of hers.