Ex-cop fires on accusers in Thai court

An ex-policeman has killed two people in a Thai court before being shot dead by police after he opened fire on two plaintiffs and their lawyers, who had accused him of laying false charges and giving false testimony.

The shootings occurred at a court in Chanthaburi province, east of Bangkok, on Tuesday.

The victims included one of the plaintiffs and one lawyer, the Court of Justice said in a statement.

The former police officer, identified as Tharin Chantharathip, and his accusers had been locked in several disputes for years, including a civil suit related to land and other criminal cases, spokesman Suriya Hongwilai said.

"When the judge left the courtroom, the defendant did the unexpected," Suriya said.

In October, a judge in a southern Thailand shot himself in court after delivering a not guilty verdict in the case of five Muslim suspects charged with murder.