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.
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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