A 57-year-old man was sent to Svay Rieng provincial police on Wednesday for allegedly hacking his cousin to death the previous day in Donsa Village, in Svay Chrum district’s Donsa commune.

District police chief Pin An told The Post on Wednesday that the man killed En Sitha, 55, with an axe.

“There is no doubt the suspect committed the offence as witnesses saw him attack and kill the victim,” he said.

Citing witnesses’ accounts, Donsa commune police chief Tith Sothea said the suspect and his cousin, both unemployed, were regular drinkers.

Before the incident at around 12pm on Tuesday, the two took a motor-taxi together and headed to their friend’s house in Donsa village for a drinking party.

After consuming half a litter of traditional rice wine, the victim was seen walking alone to the home of the suspect, who went after him on a motorcycle.

The suspect then parked his motorcycle to talk with the victim. Shortly after, a fight ensued and the suspect was seen attacking his cousin multiple times with an axe.

Sothea said Sitha died from massive blood loss before police arrived at the scene. He said the suspect did not flee and was immediately arrested.

The suspect, he said, confessed during questioning that he killed his cousin because he refused to continue drinking rice wine with him.

“He attacked the victim with the back of the axe. After examining the victim’s body, I found that his head and body had sustained multiple injuries, leaving countless open wounds,” he said.