A man from China has been arrested for allegedly pushing his pregnant wife off a cliff so he could inherit her fortune.
Thankfully, 32-year-old Wang Nan, who is three months pregnant, survived the 34 metre (111ft) fall, which happened in the Pha Taem National Park in Ubon Ratchathani province, while the couple were on holiday.
Wang sustained fractures in her left thigh, arm, collar bone and both knees. Her unborn child was reportedly unharmed.
The incident was treated as an accident at first, with the couple telling police Wang had passed out and fallen. However, Wang waited until her husband was away from her hospital bed before telling authorities it was a deliberate act.
Following an investigation, the 32-year-old’s new account accused her 33-year-old husband, of pushing her off the cliff because he wanted to inherit her 100 million baht (£2.5 million) fortune so he could pay of his debts.
According to police, Wang’s husband was acting suspiciously at the scene of the incident, standing some distance away as rescuers tried to help the woman. An interpreter is reported to have heard Wang say to her husband: ‘Why did you do that to me?’
The couple, from Jiangsu province, have been living in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2016, according to South China Morning Post.
It was reported the pair visited the park to watch the sunrise and see an ancient cave painting in a nearby cave. However, according to Wang, they didn’t find the cave, and the husband moved Wang to the edge of the cliff before turning her around, giving her a kiss and allegedly pushing her over the edge.
Wang said she remained conscious after the fall, and spent around 20 minutes calling for help. Her fall was fortunately broken by a number of trees and bushes, according to The Nation.
Police later arrested the husband at the Sapphasitthiprasong Hospital in Muang district when he visited his wife earlier this week, reports MailOnline.
According to authorities, all of the couple’s assets belong to Wang, and the husband is from a poor family. He also has a large amount of debt to repay, of which his wife had agreed to pay half.
Police are reportedly seeking approval from the courts to extend the husband’s detention, so they can investigate further.
The husband denies the charge of attempted murder.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.