Real estate tycoon Sok Bun, charged with the brutal bashing of a former TV presenter in July, has applied to leave prison for medical treatment, claiming he is suffering from stress and high blood pressure, his lawyer said yesterday.

Yin Sophy said he had lodged a request to get Bun transferred from Prey Sar’s medical ward to an outside hospital, though investigating judge Leang Samnath had yet to respond.

“He now has hypertension [high blood pressure] and stress, because he’s been thinking so much,” Sophy said.

“I am worried that if he is not properly cared for and is not sent to hospital outside the prison for treatment, his condition will worsen and he will have a stroke.”

Bun’s attack on Ek Socheata, better known as Ms Sasa, shocked the country after footage of it emerged online.

The real estate mogul, who initially fled abroad before returning to face arrest, can be seen kicking and punching the former TV personality, who said she had tried to stop him from taking advantage of her intoxicated friend.

Though the family initially shunned his offers of compensation, Socheata’s lawyer, Put Theavy, said discussions about a “compromise” were ongoing.

Regarding the case, investigating judge Samnath was unreachable yesterday, though a clerk at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, who asked not to be named, said the investigation had yet to be finalized.