Thai Woman Sentenced to Death for Poisoning 14 Friends with Cyanide

A Thai woman, reported to be one of country's most dangerous criminals, has been convicted and sentenced to death for poisoning a friend with cyanide, in first of 14 murder trials.

woman, named Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, has been described in reports as an online gambling dict. She allegedly deceived thousands of dollars from her victims before killing m with cyanide. Thai reports suggest that she used stolen money to fund her gambling habits.

On Wednesday, Bangkok court sentenced her to death for poisoning and killing her friend Siriporn Khanwong. two met last year near Bangkok airport to participate in a Buddhist ritual of releasing fish into Mae Klong River.

Moments after ritual, Siriporn collapsed and died. Investigators later found cyanide in her body.

Following incident, authorities linked Sararat to a series of cyanide poisonings dating back to 2015.

" court's decision is just," said Siriporn's mor, Tongpin Kiatchanasiri, after verdict. "I want to tell my daughter that I miss her deeply, and justice has been done for her today."

Authorities revealed that Sararat funded her gambling diction by borrowing money from her victims—one case involved as much as 300,000 baht (nearly £6,800)—before killing m and stealing ir jewelry and mobile phones.

y furr stated, "She asked people she knew for money because she h a lot of credit card debt… and if y asked her to repay m, she started killing m."

According to reports, she lured 15 people, of whom only one survived, to take poisoned "herb capsules." Sararat has been charged in 13 ditional murder trials and accused of around 80 offenses in total.

Her ex-husband, a police lieutenant colonel, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, while her former lawyer received a two-year sentence for complicity in Siriporn's murder.

(Inputs from Agencies)