A suspect in a Kratie hospital is being kept under police observation after he suffered injuries when attempting to throw a grenade into his in-laws’ house.

The grenade exploded in his hand and caused injuries to him and his son at Kbal Damrei commune, Sambor district.

Kbal Damrei commune district police chief Cheuk Bora said on Wednesday that the suspect Thea Thy, 42 and his four-year-old son were burned.

“The police are guarding him at the hospital. They will build a case and send the suspect to court after he gets better,” he said.

Bora described the suspect as an unemployed alcoholic with an eight-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son. His wife went to work in another province and did not come back, he said.

Bora said the suspect was depressed and wanted to kill his wife. He bought firecrackers and designed a grenade from them. His wife did not come back, so he kept the grenade in the forest.

On Sunday, the suspect took his son with him to stand in front of his in-laws’ house. The grenade exploded in his hand. The fire then burned his body and right hand. His son who was standing behind him also got burned on his hand, he said.

It is 10km from the scene to the road and the suspect was not able to escape after the incident. People rushed to the scene and took the suspect to the Kratie Referral Hospital, he said.

“The suspect said he aimed to kill his wife. He could not find his wife so he took the grenade to kill her parents,” Bora said.