Following the murders, Koh Tao earned the nicknamed of 'death island' due to the number of western tourists who have died or gone missing there. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Hannah (pictured right with a friend on Koh Tao shortly before she died) was backpacking in Thailand while studying at the University of Essex to be a speech therapist. Thailand's Supreme Court last month upheld murder convictions against two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for killing two British backpackers. [1][31] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. September 15: The semi-naked bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller are discovered between 5am and 6am on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao on September 15. The fact that people e-mailed her family the photos while pretending to be Nikki was enough. It is suggested David Miller was killed with a blunt piece of metal and not the rusty garden hoe first discovered at the scene and named as a murder weapon. Ms Daniels is understood to have got married this year. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8sqmi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. She appeared at the Norfolk Safer Community Awards (NOSCAs) in Norwich in 2016 when a new award was presented in memory of Hannah acknowledging the work of police family liaison officers. Only if they are not beautiful." [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Six of those have since left and police colonel Kitthanes Thananunthawisin, of the Marine Police Divisions sub-division 6, said he had the names of all the boats and they were being recalled. But last month their final appeal against their conviction was dismissed by the Supreme Court in Thailand which ruled that the forensic work was handled by respectable institutions and there was no proof of torture. However, it did not match any of their DNA records. He got killed in a racist attack by several white men. Moment fitness influencer asks man to move off park bench 'because he's 'ruining her livestream' - but Mortgage demand plummets to a 28-year low as average interest rates hit 6.71% - just as spring home buying Britain braces for brutal -9C Arctic snap: Met Office warns more snow and ice could lash the country next Is YOUR wood burner at risk? The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey. 2145/2559, "Two British tourists found dead on Thai island of Koh Tao", "Suspects in Thai Tourist Murders Face Dubious Trial", "Manhunt underway after brutal murder of 2 British tourists on Koh Tao", "Thailand's paradise island murder mystery", "What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side", "Thailand's Supreme Court upholds death penalty for men convicted of murdering British backpackers", "Koh Tao DNA evidence & international standards", "Thai court upholds death penalty for murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death", "Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation", "Koh Tao murders: DNA matches, confessions obtained, crime re-enacted", "Hearings Open Into Killings of Two British Tourists on Thai Island (Published 2014)", "Thai king commutes death sentence for Myanmar men in British tourist murder case", "Burmese men confess to killing British tourists on Koh Tao, Thai police say", "The Investigation Into Thailand's Backpacker Slayings Is Officially a Farce", "Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions", "Thai Dictator Faces Ire Over Murder Probe", "Koh Tao murder suspects plead not guilty", "Burmese pair to be executed for murder of British tourists on Koh Tao, Thailand", "2 Sentenced to Death in Killing of British Tourists in Thailand (Published 2015)", "Thailand murders: Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings", "Thai beach murders: Convicted men lose death sentence appeal", "Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court", "Backpacker's family 'grateful' for Thai king's clemency", "Koh Tao pair claim they were tortured before confessing", "Thai beach murders: DNA investigation into death of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller 'incompetent at best', "Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed", "Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered", "Thai Paradise Gains Reputation as 'Death Island', "Foreign Office calls in Thai diplomat over murder inquiry concerns", "Thailand murder suspects can't have British police report: UK judge", "Thai officials on alert as Myanmar protests spread", "Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors", "Thailand's Migrant Worker Woes Exposed in Koh Tao Murder Case", "Govt vows "high-tech" defence against hackers", "Island killings prompt stiffer worker rules", "Contesting narratives: the Koh Tao tourists murders", "Unofficial translation of Koh Samui Provincial Court No. The defendants have repeatedly stated their innocence over the murders, with the defence alleging they were framed. [42][43] Early police reports said Miller's mobile phone was also found in Zaw Lin's home,[44][45] although the media had previously reported the phone was handed to police by a friend of the victim. The family of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge has been hit by a fresh tragedy with the sudden death of her sister. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. Mr Zaw and Mr Wai (also known as Win Zaw Htun), both 22 and migrants from Myanmar, also known as Burma, were arrested several weeks later. [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. I was forced to look at these photos for a DUI class when I was 14 because I was caught smoking weed. There were TRACES of cocaine, but that didnt contributeit was a small amount from a day or more before. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. It will never make any sense. Hannah and a friend were spotted on CCTV walking down the main strip of Koh Tao towards Choppers bar at 7pm on Sunday. Later it transpires there is evidence of one man's DNA on the cigarette, and of two men in the victim's body. After the discovery of the British tourists' bodies on a beach on Koh Tao, police said Hannah, from Norfolk, had been raped and bludgeoned to death while David, from Jersey, had suffered blows to his head. [5][6] Both were students who were backpacking in Thailand. [15] Public prosecutors initially rejected the report, asking for "certain flaws" to be fixed, more information to be supplied, and for the report to be made "more succinct". She had no alcohol in her system. Verdicts in the case are not expected until October. Police in Thailand investigating the murder of two British backpackers suspect they were killed by two fishermen who then fled in a boat as CCTV images showing the couples last fateful movements in Koh Tao came to light last night. We won't comment on the trial process. The legal age you can get married has just changed, Charles & Camilla break major royal tradition, Courteney Cox speaks on Harry magic mushroom claim, Harry 'adding at least one more chapter' to memoir, Dylan responds to being misgendered on Instagram. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. A pro-bono legal team defending the men has said evidence collected by police was unreliable and not in accordance with internationally accepted standards, arguing it should not have been used to convict them. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. Very gruesome, theres one photo of his parents looking at him in the coffin and I really cant imagine what they mustve felt knowing theyd lost their son, he was murdered for nothing, and the horrible thing they were looking at was him. "There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. [42][48] Amnesty International stated that Thailand "must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police". [92], Thailand's government became concerned the murders may affect tourism to the country. Edit: ah, I didnt realise you said crime scene photos, these were photos taken at the funeral. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. Its a farce.. job, Jeremy Clarkson has broken his silence following claims Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Pictured: Hannah's mother, Susan, hugs Laura as Tony Witheridge sobs over the loss of his daughter after she was murdered in Thailand in 2014. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Mrs Witheridge, 61, said in a statement how the lives of her family had been 'changed forever' by her murder. said General Prayuth Chan-O-Cha in a televised speech. A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. Police said that DNA semen samples taken from Hannahs body were from two men, both Asian. [76], The International Commission of Jurists said "the defense must be afforded adequate time and facilities to explore whether the alleged destruction of evidence in this case was appropriate and unavoidable, and to test the prosecution case overall." They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Read about our approach to external linking. [51], The prosecution also claimed the defendants entered the country in violation of the Immigration Act of 1979. "We beg that Hannah and David are afforded privacy and dignity through the removal of these pointless and insensitive reminders," they said. She graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in education in 2012. [7] Witheridge had completed undergraduate studies in education at the University of East Anglia and had started post-graduate studies in speech and language therapy at the University of Essex. Read about our approach to external linking. We are aware of the Katherine case and are checking out the possibility that something similar could have happened, he said. Most topics are about Bangkok and Pattaya because of their larger populations of expatriates and tourists in those cities, but this is for all things Thai. Yikes. [1] Receiving half a million visitors each year,[1] Koh Tao is especially popular with backpackers and known for its marine life and scuba diving. Ms Taupin did note however that the document that the prosecution relied upon was an Unendorsed Report in that it had no seal or stamp certifying that it had been produced by an accredited laboratory and in accordance with international standards. Probably the links to those photos on other sites also. DO NOT go in blind. by Soi Dog Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:35 am, Post 'Laura had been gravely ill and was being treated in hospital. [11] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. Dimitri Povse 2015; An English human rights activist by the name of Andy Hall asked me to put him in touch with the Melbourne forensic expert, Jane Taupin which I did. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. She spoke out last November at the sentencing of sadistic troll Paul Hind, 38, who was jailed for 14 months at Newcastle Crown Court. Burmese migrant workers made up an additional 5,000, around 2,000 of these being illegal immigrants who bribe local police by paying 500 baht each month. Unfortunately, the Thai defence lawyers did not call Ms Taupin to give evidence even though she was available. The men who killed Till were not mentally ill and they were not penalized or ostracized for their actions. -, Press J to jump to the feed. [21][73], The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 2020 following a royal decree to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and "illustrate the king's clemency". I definitely don't think I could handle actually seeing them. The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. Prior to your posting to Thailand you must have received a report of this country in terms of its corruption, poverty, murder and crime rates. A 24-year-old Thai man has been arrested and charged by Thai police on the island of Koh Si Chang in Chonburi province following the brutal rape and murder of a 27-year-old German tourist on Sunday. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They were acts of extreme barbarity. No one is immune.'. [1] Police revealed that the samples from Witheridge's body were used up,[62][27] but were able to provide DNA samples from the murder weapon. Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake recorded a conclusion that Hannah had been unlawfully killed. They had been bludgeoned to death. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. 'The death sentence against the two accused and their conviction should be reversed and quashed,' Andy Hall, an adviser to the men's legal team, said in a statement to media. Police major general, Surachate Hakparn, said in an interview that the police have cracked down on crime syndicates on Koh Tao since the backpackers' double . What they did was fairly run of the mill for the Jim Crow South. "The past three weeks have been unimaginably difficult and there are no words that can adequately describe the heartache and despair that our family is experiencing. Have a story or an anonymous news tip for CEO? [71], A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. Laura revealed previously how her family had been 'drop-kicked into the pits of hell itself' when Hannah was murdered. Laura Daniels (pictured, right), 30, died in hospital on Monday just five years and one day after her sister Hannah (left), 23, and fellow traveller David Miller, 24, were murdered, Laura (pictured with her husband, Lewis Daniels) has died five years after her sister was killed in Thailand, Hannah (left), 23, and fellow traveller David Miller (right), 24, were murdered on a beach in Thailand in 2014. Later, police released CCTV footage which they claimed showed the students walking hand-in-hand down a street. The brutal reality of seeing her like that made me physically sick and ive looked at alot of photos on that sub :/, Is there a reason I cant view them? [1] After initially failing to find a match to one of the migrant workers, the police focused their attention on Western tourists related to the victims. Aside from Hannah and David, 2014 also saw the death of Nick Pearson , 25, from Derby, who was found floating in the ocean on New Year's Day. 'DNA and forensics evidence relied on to convict Zaw Law and Wai Phyo, and sentence them to death in the Koh Tao murder case, was fundamentally flawed and unreliable in terms of international standards.'. Two Burmese workers, whose names were given only as Saw and Win, are said to have confessed to killing the pair, who were discovered on 15 September. Part of the reason for coming out, was to go to Koh Tao. From the beginning, the Thai police had difficulty securing the crime scene. Defence lawyers also claim the evidence and DNA in the case had been mishandled, making it unreliable. Thai police have been criticised for leading a chaotic investigation into the deaths of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in which the line of inquiry has changed several times. I'm not even following that rabbit hole because all I had to read was Porsche Girl, I've seen it before and it's bad Just to clarifyshe was NOT a dui. Are aware of the reason for coming out, was to go to Koh Tao towards bar... 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