The sight of Pojaman Shinawatra standing uneasily in the dock in Bangkok's main Criminal Court may prove to be a defining moment in the shifting balance of power in Thai politics.The guilty verdict was not unexpected.
But in sentencing her to three years in prison - and delivering a stern reprimand over her failure to set an example - the judge showed no hesitation in punishing and dressing down a woman still viewed by many Thais as among the most powerful in the country.
In court her husband, Thaksin Shinawatra, looked shell-shocked.
Over the coming months he will also be in court to defend himself against various charges of abusing his power while in office. The prospect of a woman who is not just his wife, but also his most trusted business and political partner, going to jail, must also now be weighing on him.
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