Thailand Jails British Teen For Life

[george]

Thailand jails British teen for life

BANGKOK: - A Thai court has jailed 19-year-old Briton Michael Alan Connell for life for trying to smuggle 3,400 ecstasy tablets into Thailand, his lawyer says.

Defence lawyer Prutti Kuranon told Reuters on Wednesday that Connell had escaped a death sentence by confessing and would appeal against the life term.

Connell was arrested in November at Bangkok International Airport for trying to smuggle in two moisturiser cream jars stuffed with the tablets, which fetch 1,000 baht (14 pounds) apiece on the streets of the Thai capital.

Connell told police during interrogation he was unaware that the jars he had bought at a department store in Manchester contained the pills and said they could have been switched during his stopover in Dubai, a court statement said.

The Customs Department, whose officials arrested Connell, said in November the ecstasy pills, estimated to have a Thai street value of 3.4 million baht (50,000 pounds), were wrapped in plastic inside the jars and hidden in his luggage.

--Reuters 2004-03-24

Full background story

[A. BOOZER]

Personally, think that the only sensible this lad has done was to plead guilty, feel sure that otherwise he would have paid the full price. I do think that the old adage "If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime" is appropriate. What do you others think?

[chuckygobyebye]

Bt1,000 a pill! I think the corrospondant should change his dealer.

Is getting killed a fair penalty for smuggling E? As far as doing the time for the crime, why not ask someone qualified: http://www.farangonline.com/disp_articles.asp?art=256

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Pity that he didn't use you as his defense. He'd have been executed for certain.

[BlackJack]

maybe young UK should charge a viewing fee for anyone that wants to see what a real <deleted> looks like - i bet he would make more this way

[Phil Conners]

What a bozo, how stupid does he think the world is? What does a punk like that need two tubs of moisturizer cream for huh? Not the most likely toilet accessory for someone like that...

[TizMe]

To hold 3,400 tablets they would need to be fair sized jars wouldn't they?

'onest Gov, I like to keep my skin supple...

[mouse]

Maybe he will get the cream back and he can take it with him to jail, where it may come in handy. One less daler to threathen my kids in Thailand.

[BlackJack]

poor kid

i thank god i wasnt born that stupid

Does anyone have any pictures of his parents?

[royar2002]

I think a little to hard, but he have to know that Thailand is not Europe,

but if you play with fire............................................

[andyD]

What a complete idiot - think how many more E's he could have smuggled in if only he'd stashed them in that huge cavity where his brain should be!

[britmaveric]

Oh well he'll have plenty of time to think about how stupid he was!

[ChiangMaiThai]

Smuggling E in Thailand is stupid. But there should be a whole different debate among us. You are simple minded if you believe that any substance the government classifies as an illegal drug is somehow evil and therefore deserves punishments like this. E is very different from heroine. Marijuana is very different from ya ba. Enlightened governments would recognize this (and some have).

Again, the rules are the rules. I'm not arguing that. I'm just arguing that the rules should be changed.

As for pleading guilty to receive a life sentence rather than death, I imagine a fair share of innocent people would take this option and I don't think it says much for as to his guilt or lack thereof.

[britmaveric]

Dunno think death would be preferable, life in prison is more torturous in my opinion.

[system7]

Yeah right.. how stupid.. wonder how the person feels that gave them to him in the first place and proberly paid the mug just his airfare...

[forthefree]

Let him Rot with the rest of the scum.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[organic]

Agree with what chiangmaithai said.

Just hope it gets *loads* of publicity though and with a bit of luck it might make some other silly buggers think twice.

[somboon]

Maybe I am coming from from outa space but isn't it racist to say a Brit got picked up for the importation of "E"

Now that we are being so sensitive about people, countries etc., would it not have been more correct to say that "someone, from somewhere, got picked up for being in possession of something" ..................

It is a point isn't it george..........

[dezeure]

Personally I agree with the sentence... He knows its illegal, and its just a quick (risky) way to make alot of money. If it was in Singapore we would have a hanging this comming friday.

On the other hand, I don't know if he has the better end of the deal: lifetime in Thai jail or death sentence... I think the lifetime in Thai jail is alot worse and having seen previous cases of the Bangkok Hilton, he's gonna be wanting the death sentence...

Europe is pretty boring to go out nowadays. The economy isn't turning like it should... people are scared to spend money and to go drinking with all the fines, and this leads to doing unwanted things. But its not like you need E in Thailand to have fun! Everyday is a partyday!

...and yes, the gov't should change dealer cause a 1000 Baht a pill?????? now THAT's farang tourist price!!! :D:D

Cheers

[nikmcg]

Thanks Thailand, one less layabout to worry about feeding in the U.K!

[Lucky_Boy_Farang]

I was hoping the young lad would get 25 years not life. Surly the Thais must give sentences reflecting the quantity of drugs one has seized on them.

Michael had 3,200 ecstasy pills and that john fella who got caught with 9,000 'E' nearly three times as much will also get life.

And another thing, Is it really needed to have judges in Thailand? Why not get jo bloggs of the street and be judge and jury.

Young Michael will be spending his first night in BangKwang tonight. I'll be sending another £20 out today for abit of pocket money.

You see I show compassion. I feel that everyone deserves a second chance.

And another thing, Terrorists fight against our UK troops in Afghanistan, get caught, get locked up in cuba and our government bend over backwards to bring them home and live off benefits. How about british prisoners abroad who are innocent? They are left to rot.

[Noodles]

He should have read a few books before embarking o his

suicide trip, like 'Forget You Have A Daughter'.

Perhaps this would of had an impact on his decision.

The laws in Europe are not even close to the laws in

some asian countries relating to drugs.

I'm shore tonight he is feeling very sorry for himself!

[Lucky_Boy_Farang]

I'm shore tonight he is feeling very sorry for himself!

He will be, He will be. He's going to be spending his first night in mother of all bad prisons. BANGKWANG.

[pnustedt]

Actually we're competing for the rights to his autobiography - guess it beats living in a Manchester suburb!

[pschef]

And another thing, Is it really needed to have judges in Thailand? Why not get jo bloggs of the street and be judge and jury.

Young Michael will be spending his first night in BangKwang tonight. I'll be sending another £20 out today for abit of pocket money.

You see I show compassion. I  feel that everyone deserves a second chance.

And another thing, Terrorists fight against our UK troops in Afghanistan, get caught, get locked up in cuba and our government bend over backwards to bring them home and live off benefits. How about british prisoners abroad who are innocent? They are left to rot.

What a load of Balls, the guy was obviousy trying to make a fast Buck maybe not so bright, but clever enough to hide the pills? How you can enliken his actions to so called prisoners abroad who are so called innocent? let them be left to rot. Anyone who puts the life of another human in jepody, what ever the cause. Let them suffer. Be it Drugs or Relgion, no one has the right. 20 quid, I wouldnt even give 20 pence

Just a last thought, last year a little old lady was locked up for holding some Yaa BAa for her nephew. 6- odd and she only just got out, when the realised she wasnt involved. Thailand will not give an inch in this war, I for one support them

[Gasanee]

When people go to Thailand and don't respect the law in our country,then that's what happen.Of course,every country have different rules and law,but before you go visit the country,maybe at least you should learn what should and should not do while you are there.Maybe it will help a bit.By now I think people have learned more about Thai law.Just imagine if you get caught with a soft drugs,you will be in jail in Thailand for 22 yrs.but in Holland when you kill somebody your probably stay in jail for a few years or something.It is a big different.

[taxexile]

whatever your views are on whether drugs should be legal,semi-legal or graded according to the level of danger the user risks, this piece of pondlife broke the laws

of this country as a guest here and it is only fair and just that he pays the price according to the law.

when he was arrested in november there were reports from the uk that he was no stranger to law breaking.

if the laws were properly enforced in the uk then he might have been punished previously there and been made to see the error of his ways,and perhaps start to lead a more honest and productive life, but no, in the uk you can literally get away with murder, and for petty drug pushing the police and the courts can hardly be bothered to do anything.

so he tries his luck over here.

try not to think of it as a punishment for just one smuggling trip, but as a punishment for all his criminal past.

at least there will be one less person cheating benefit in the uk for a few years and so there will be just a bit more for the run down schools, the filthy hospitals,the underpaid nurses and the poor pensioners and those who have genuine need of state benefit.

sympathy for him..... you must be joking.

i wish the thai police every success in catching and locking up the scum that the uk authorities are unable and unwilling to prosecute.

[PlanetMan]

What a load of Balls, the guy was obviousy trying to make a fast Buck   maybe not so bright, but clever enough to hide the pills? How you can enliken his actions to so called prisoners abroad who are so called innocent? let them be left to rot. Anyone who puts the life of another human in jepody, what ever the cause. Let them suffer. Be it Drugs or Relgion, no one has the right.   20 quid, I wouldnt even give 20 pence

Anyone who makes blanket generalizations based upon a cursory understanding of a subset of the facts is a maroon!

[Moving]

All in all a life sentence for a nineteen year old kid is a real bummer...particularly where he will be spending it.

I reflect back to my first trip to Thailand...1967, an R&R (often referred to as I&I) trip from Viet Nam courtesy of the USMC...Although I never considered transporting or dealing but I was 19 at that time and whatever was out there I wanted my fair share (ladies, booze, drugs and had no problems in attempting to kick the shit out of anyone that disagreed with me) and if at that time I were to have been arrested and convicted of what myself and other R&R's were doing as a matter of course I would have never left Thailand...probably would have been able to give this kid some pretty sage advice because I would be going into my 35th plus years of time owned the Thai legal system.

I don't know the answers...but I do know drugs are bad shit. Too ###### such money involved. Never thought I'd ever hear myself saying this but maybe it is time to begin legislating the sale and use???

[filch]

I haven't contibuted much to this forum, but I feel compelled to reply to this one. Most of the people here obviously know very little about drugs, their history and their usage in all walks of society. Drugs have been an integral part of all humanity since the very bith of time, we would not be the most 'advanced species on the planet' if it wasn't for them. Some of the greatest thinkers of all time were all habitual drug users, IBM encouraged their developers to induce themselves with LSD before commencing work to name a recent incident. Anyway, I am one not to condone what is right or wrong. Thailand does indeed have it's own laws and I for one obey by them, as most others here do. But education here is surely the key to all of this. I understand concerned parents worrying about their children coming into contact with drugs, with sex, with the wrong kinds etc...but surely if you educate your children appropriately, and I am not talking about academic education, I am talking about the way you raise them. Then surely you have nothing to worry about. Drugs are not dangerous, nor are they harmful if used appropriately. Most of you drink tea, coffee, alcohol, smoke tobacco? If these were banned substances would you all shout 'kill 'em, hang 'em' if someone was caught smuggling tealeaves into Thailand when the Thai government had declared them illegal? Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating drug use, I am not saying drugs are ok. I agree, certain drugs can be dangerous when placed in the wrong hands. Education is the key.

The other thing that kind of gets me, is surely you can see the last 2 guys to be busted are certainly scapegoats. Thai weed, Ecstacy, Yaa Bah et al are all exceptional revenue generators. This kind of thing has been going on for years! Every now and again some poorly educated mule (preferably farang) is given up as an offering. Everyone is happy. The amounts these two were carrying were peanuts, not even into the millions. Drugs are ferried, shipped, flown around the world in the millions of dollars worth without hiccup or hitch. Does the government know about these? Of course they do, they are on the payroll.

As I have said, I do not wish to appear an advocate, I would simply like to stop these ridiculous comments that encourage trolling.

Look at the bigger picture people. Let's not focus on a couple of poor, uneducated, unfortunate fellows and start talking about the bigger issues.

Anyone for a few whiskeys, don't worry, I'll give you a lift home after, no problems!!