An Australian truck driver accused of killing a Thai teenager and dumping her naked body in a suitcase is being sued by the young girl's family.
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driver → accuse → family
Simon Peter Carman, 45, from Perth's southern suburbs, is currently awaiting trial over the alleged murder of Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, also known as Cake.
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Carman → await → Cake
If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
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he → find → penalty
The teen's naked body was found dumped inside a black suitcase near railway tracks on the outskirts of Pattaya on June 27, two days after she was last seen alive on CCTV with Carman in the foyer of his condo complex.
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she → find → complex
As Carman awaits his criminal trial, which is expected to start before the end of the year, the teen's family has filed a civil lawsuit against him and is seeking more than $51,000 in compensation.
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family → await → compensation
In a translated interview with the ABC, Tunchanok's cousin, Khanitta, said the lawsuit wasn't about the money.
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lawsuit → translate → money
'Nobody wants money from this.
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Nobody → want → this
They want the person's life back,' she said.
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she → want → life
'She should have had a future that went much further than this.
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that → have → this
Nobody wants money from this situation.'
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Nobody → want → situation
The body of Thai teen Tunchanok Donhomla was found dumped inside a black suitcase near railway tracks on the outskirts of Pattaya, Thailand, on June 27
Simon Carman (above) claimed Ms Donhomla attacked him with a knife and he chose to hide her body in a suitcase because he doesn't 'trust the police'
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he → find → police
The teen's heartbroken family are now suing Carman for over $51,000 in a civil court
Tunchanok's father, Thongchai, said he is still struggling to accept his daughter's death.
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he → sue → death
'Normally she would be at home, and when I get back from work, I would see her every day.
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I → get → her
Now, when I go back, there is nothing left but emptiness,' he said.
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he → go → emptiness
It comes as Carman is expected to front court on Monday, when trial dates are set to be determined.
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dates → come → Monday
It will be the first time the teen's family has come face-to-face with their daughter's alleged killer.
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family → come → killer
Carman has pleaded not guilty to the charges and previously told investigators he acted in self-defence, alleging the teenager attacked him with a knife during an argument over money.
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teenager → plead → money
He was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport just minutes before attempting to board a Jetstar flight to Perth.
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He → arrest → Perth
In August, Carman gave his first interview since his arrest, speaking to ABC's Foreign Correspondent from Pattaya Remand Prison.
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Carman → give → Prison
'I feel deeply sad.
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I → feel → ?
I obviously wish that it did not happen, but it was unavoidable,' he said.
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he → wish → ?
'All I was trying to do [was] restrain her from stabbing me.
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I → try → me
Even when I had her pinned down, she still had a lot of force, trying to stab me.
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she → have → me
If found guilty of the teen's murder, Carman could face the death penalty
Carman claimed he repeatedly asked the teen to 'put down the knife' during a physical struggle before she eventually 'went limp'.
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she → find → struggle
He said he felt a great deal of remorse for Tunchanok's family.
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he → say → family
He also claimed he had no idea Tunchanok was a minor at the time, alleging she had followed him back to his accommodation.
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she → claim → accommodation
'I honestly do not know why she followed me home,' he added.
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he → know → me
Carman revealed at the time that the only visitors he had received while behind bars were representatives from the Australian embassy.
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he → reveal → embassy
As police wrapped up their investigation, an autopsy revealed Tunchanok 'had a brain injury and she suffocated'.
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she → wrap → injury
'She had no other injuries,' Colonel Anek Srathongyoo from Pattaya City Police said.
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Srathongyoo → have → Police
'We also collected Simon [Carman's] DNA and matched it to DNA found on Cake's.'
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We → collect → Cake
Nine days before her death, Tunchanok travelled from her home in northern Thailand, about 600km from the bustling city of Pattaya.
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Tunchanok → travel → Pattaya
She wanted a holiday to 'see the beach' and visit friends, promising her family she would return soon.
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she → want → friends
Tunchanok had given friends Carman's address after the pair met on Jomtien Beach in the early hours of June 25.
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pair → give → June
A concerned friend reported the teen missing to police the following day and later confronted Carman at his condo after she disappeared.
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she → report → condo
Police allege Carman had, by then, suffocated Tunchanok and placed her body in a suitcase before abandoning it a short scooter ride away.
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Carman → allege → it
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