The baffling 27 years of Richard Burrows, aka. ‘Peter Smith’

Before he was charged in the UK years ago he used to drink occasionally in my local pub in Congleton, Cheshire. 

How did he do it, how did he do it, remember that Great Britian with the various schemes of the Tories has become a 3 rd world country in those 27 years. That would include the foreign service everything privatised to make someone a millionaire

2 hours ago, RobU said:

Unfortunately critically ill or dying prisoners tend to be released on parole for compassionate reasons in the UK

Not only in the UK,in Thailand also.

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, not with the correct extensions there was no need for that.

True --if he had a work permit he would not have had to leave every 90 days --- a normal 1 year visa was leave the country every 90 days, then when 1 year was up

--leave the country and go find an Thai Embassy in  a different country that would issue you with another 1 year visa to come back in.

How easy it is now.........................

15 hours ago, Moonlover said:

the real 'Peter Smith' never reported it missing

as he was paid to do?

Unsurprisingly, it was lack of money and health problems that caused his return to UK. Difficult to prevent either when ageing.

2 hours ago, thesetat said:

Thai immigration did not keep renewing this guys passport. They went by their own records from years past of simply renewing the same visa he had in their system. This has nothing to do with Thai immigration.

Curiosity not pedantry, but was he renewing a visa or re-applying for an extension of permission to stay.?

39 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Was be collecting an old age pension !

Good question and if so which NI number was he using for DWP Peter Smith or Richard Burrows, did he ever have to do "Proof of Life" certificates, and were HMRC taxing his private pensions if any (or at least assessing him for tax).

If my brain was younger I could probably think of quite a few more areas with question marks, the system does appear to have failed in his account.

34 minutes ago, moe666 said:

How did he do it, how did he do it, remember that Great Britian with the various schemes of the Tories has become a 3 rd world country in those 27 years. That would include the foreign service everything privatised to make someone a millionaire

Great Britain is not a country, the United Kingdom is.

28 minutes ago, jvs said:

2 hours ago, RobU said:

Unfortunately critically ill or dying prisoners tend to be released on parole for compassionate reasons in the UK

Not only in the UK,in Thailand also.

witness a certain political figure in Thailand recently

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is not about a stolen passport, he assumed the identity of the real guy named 'Peter Smith', once he did that it would have been plain sailing for him unless the original guy noticed.

I did a Google on my name and about 63 hits came up with the exact same name as me and 1 of them being born on the same date as me.
He lives in the USA and is a well know lawyer.
A name is not unique and even a birth date can be common.

29 minutes ago, wombat said:

16 hours ago, Moonlover said:

the real 'Peter Smith' never reported it missing

29 minutes ago, wombat said:

as he was paid to do?

Didn't you read the full story? The passport Burrows used was that of one of his victim's father. 

He was hardly likely to aid and abet Burrow's flight from justice was he.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Many questions are being raised how a passport, assumed to have been reported missing by the real ‘Peter Smith’ in the UK, would be able to be used for such a long time without detection. During that time he would have completed numerous 90 day reports , visa renewals and UK passport renewals through the British Embassy in Thailand.

Nobody knows what kind of connection was between real Peter (the child father) and Richard. It is possible that missing passport never been reported. And he was captured by face recognition cam even after long time. 

49 minutes ago, saintdomingo said:

54 minutes ago, moe666 said:

How did he do it, how did he do it, remember that Great Britian with the various schemes of the Tories has become a 3 rd world country in those 27 years. That would include the foreign service everything privatised to make someone a millionaire

49 minutes ago, saintdomingo said:

Great Britain is not a country, the United Kingdom is.

And neither is it a 3rd country.

1 hour ago, foreverlomsak said:

2 hours ago, crazykopite said:

Was be collecting an old age pension !

1 hour ago, foreverlomsak said:

Good question and if so which NI number was he using for DWP Peter Smith or Richard Burrows, did he ever have to do "Proof of Life" certificates, and were HMRC taxing his private pensions if any (or at least assessing him for tax).

If my brain was younger I could probably think of quite a few more areas with question marks, the system does appear to have failed in his account.

When he left the UK he was 53. It is highly unlikely that that he would have amassed any meaningful pension pots at that age. And how on Earth would he lay claim to them anyway, living as he was, a fugitive from justice living under an assumed name?

From the O/P's account it seems that he launched himself into business here from the get go and that's what he survived on.

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

So how did he manage to evade detection, in plain sight, during his 27 years in Phuket? ‘Peter Smith’ was, mostly, well liked, had a close circle of friends, worked professionally in a number of jobs, all with the requisite visas and work permits required in Thailand.

 

How did he get a passport with the name ‘Peter Smith’? How could he keep getting renewals of a stolen passport? How did he get to Thailand in the first place? How much did close friends actually know about his dark past?

 

80 year old Richard Burrows, aka. ‘Peter Smith’, who had evaded authorities for nearly thirty years, was apprehended upon his return to the UK from Thailand, according to police reports.

 

I had known him, professionally but spasmodically, for 10 years working in and around the media in Phuket. The man I knew as Peter Smith was at every media function, free lunch, product launch or party. I hardly ever spoke more than a few words but could see he was liked and generally respected in the Phuket media community, and rubbed shoulders with the local hoi polloi, police and respected community leaders.

 

He wasn’t even slightly trying to hide. Indeed he was living large, and in plain sight.

 

Many of those same people now say they feel betrayed, or at least shocked, upon learning of the appalling crimes he is alleged to have committed all those years ago in the UK.

Grenville Fordham, the founder of IMAGE Asia, and a long-term acquaintance of ‘Peter Smith’, was understandably mortified by the revelations of his past criminal history. Grenville was quoted in The Phuket News last week…
“Nobody who knew ’Peter’ here would have guessed he was wanted for such dreadful crimes. He was a very well-liked Phuket expat with a wide circle of friends”.

 

Burrows had skipped his trial for child sex offences at Chester Crown Court back in 1997. He arrived in Phuket that same year.

 

Cheshire Police disclosed that he was taken into custody at Heathrow Airport on Thursday, April 4 (reported as March 28 in other articles). The charges pertain to alleged child abuse incidents spanning from 1969 to 1981. Burrows was a former scout master as well.

 

In his first hearing, since being arrested at Heathrow, the 13 counts of sexual misconduct, including 11 of indecent assault and two of a serious sexual offence, were read out by the judge. According to the BBC, proceedings were briefly delayed due to his hearing difficulties.

 

Mr Burrows spoke only twice during the court appearance – to confirm his non-appearance at court 27 years ago, and again to acknowledge the successful execution, albeit 27 years late, of his arrest warrant.

 

Burrows had originally arrived in Phuket in 1997, living on the island under the name Peter Smith – the name in the passport he had allegedly stolen from one of his victim’s father. Somehow he was able to use this passport as ID to set up companies and even renewals for a new UK passport during his time in Thailand.

 

Many questions are being raised how a passport, assumed to have been reported missing by the real ‘Peter Smith’ in the UK, would be able to be used for such a long time without detection. During that time he would have completed numerous 90 day reports , visa renewals and UK passport renewals through the British Embassy in Thailand.

 

Some stories, unconfirmed, have also come to light that he had stolen a yacht in the UK and, somehow, made his way to South East Asia. He did buy another yacht whilst living in Phuket which he lived on in Chalong Bay for many years.

 

Mr Burrows had set up his own company and taught English at Phuket schools from time to time before becoming a successful sales agent for Image Asia and the publication Windows on Phuket.

 

Peter’ at his farewell dinner just days before flying back to the UK.

 

Police in the UK claim there was an “extensive search for Burrows”, including being featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch program in 1998. Some offences were alleged to have occurred at a children’s home in Cheshire, while others were reported in the West Midlands.

 

Although he had denied all charges back in 1997, Burrows is expected to enter pleas again at a hearing scheduled for June this year. He will remain in custody waiting for further hearings, with a trial set for January next year.

 

The BBC ‘Crimewatch’ TV program featured his story again in 2011…

By Tim Newton

Caption: Richard Burrows, aka. 'Peter Smith', before his first appearance in Court after his arrest at Heathrow

 

Full story: Phuket GO 2024-04-11

 

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Let's hope this nonce never comes out & gets boiling water & sugar thrown in his face !!! 😡😡😡

17 hours ago, swerve said:

UK passport service and other agencies dropped the ball on this one.  I am amazed that a stolen passport can be used and renewed for so long.

I suppose it depends on whether or not the owner tries to renew it themselves.

as for me, there's something very fishy about this story 🙄

Did it say how he was found out or caught?

21 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

Great Britain is not a country, the United Kingdom is.

Not exactly true. The names Great Britain and United Kingdom are often used interchangeably. The reason for the two names, and the difference between them, has to do with the expansive history of the British Isles. The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe.

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

 

And neither is it a 3rd country.

Please clarify 3rd country.

15 hours ago, ukrules said:

There's still one piece of the puzzle missing though - how did they know this particular guy was the same on who did a runner all those years ago?

Presumably, if Smith sounded the alarm, that would have prompted a full investigation into the travel history of the passport, including photos submitted for renewal and taken at airports. They may have shown these to the real Smith, to see if he recognised the person who stole his passport. He probably never forgot this person.

4 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

 

 

 

Not exactly true. The names Great Britain and United Kingdom are often used interchangeably. The reason for the two names, and the difference between them, has to do with the expansive history of the British Isles. The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe.

 

Sorry but it is exactly true.

The name Great Britain is often used incorrectly, often by people who should know better.

A British passport clearly states The United Kingdom of....

Great Britain is not a sovereign and autonomous state, the United Kingdom is.

2 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

Great Britain is not a country, the United Kingdom is.

How can someone have the nationality of "British", then?

I knew a chap once that had flown under the radar for over 25 years. It wasn't until he was seriously ill in hospital that the <deleted> hit the fan. He had just decided to drop out.

3 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

How can someone have the nationality of "British", then?

Being British just means that he was a native of England as opposed to being Welsh and being a native of Wales. All are issued with a British passport.

He could well have staged this and tipped off the British authorities himself.

Funds exhausted, tired of running, ill health, out of options?

Living on very limited funds in a packing crate or something near old Phuket Zoo? Whatever or wherever.

Whatever punishment he gets, he's 80 years old, he will be segregated, health care, meals, and all medical bills paid.

After release, they'll be lumbered in finding him somewhere to live and sorting out state benefits.

17 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I have never had to have anyone to sign to say they have known me for several years and I've lost count of how many passports that is.

 

A passport that has been reported stolen would immediately be cancelled so you're right, it does seem somewhat incredulous. But there is one possible explanation, that the real 'Peter Smith' never reported it missing in the first place. If he wasn't much of a travelling man he may never have noticed.

It used to be someone that you had known for 2 years, and that they were of some 'standing', like a judge or a doctor or JP.

9 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

How can someone have the nationality of "British", then?

Ask an Ulster Unionist or just Google it. I am correct but not up to explaining something to someone who doesn't want to be told.

I see a similarity with someone on a United States of America passport but is known as an American or being from America. There is no such country and common usage does not make it correct.

6 minutes ago, Maejo Man said:

Being British just means that he was a native of England as opposed to being Welsh and being a native of Wales. All are issued with a British passport.

No it means a native of Great Britain or Northern Ireland.