Brit shot, robbed in Chalong

CHALONG: Police are hunting two suspects who shot and robbed a British man while he was riding home on Patak Rd before dawn yesterday.

Chalong Police Superintendent Col Samarn Chainarong today confirmed that UK national Richard Hendren, 50, who runs the September beer bar on Soi One Man in Karon, was riding home to Chalong around 5 am when he was attacked.

After closing the bar, he stayed on to watch the UEFA Champion’s League final, set off on his Honda motorbike to his home on Soi Yodsane, Chalong, where he lives with his Thai wife of three years.

Riding pillion with him was 13-year-old Phraewnapa Laohongse, the daughter of one of the bar staff. She was riding with Hendren so that she could return the bike to the bar.

As the pair were rounding the final bend coming down Kata Hill and into Chalong, two men wearing full-face helmets on a black Honda Wave pulled alongside. The man on the back kicked the bike, causing it to crash.

As Hendren and Phraewnapa lay on the road, the man who had been riding pillion approached them and demanded their valuables.

When Mr Hendren said he didn’t have any, he was shot in the left leg. The force of the blast caused a compound bone fracture to add to the extensive injuries he had sustained in the crash.

Still at gunpoint and lying in a wet roadside ditch after trying to crawl to safety, Mr Hendren was forced to hand over his waist pouch, which contained cash and ATM and bank cards.

The bandits then robbed the girl of 200 baht and her mobile phone before riding off toward Karon. The man riding pillion allegedly fired a shot into the sky as they sped off.