MangoKorat

DNA evidence can be damning but if the police had DNA, they would be asking for his extradition. However, even if hs DNA was found on her remains, how unusual would it be to find her husband's DNA? The police have a very difficult job in this case. Most murders are carried out by a person known/close to the victim and there is a reported history of domestic violence in this case but that is not enough to prove a murder charge. Insufficient evidence has lead to innocent people have been hanged in the past. Thankfully the required evidence standard has been raised in the UK - mainly as a result of such cases and of course, we no longer have the death penalty.

It doesn't matter how low the percentage of wrongful convictions is. Everyone has the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty. It is unfortunate that sometimes a lack of evidence allows the guilty to go free. I'd rather see that than see innocent people languishing in prisons - or worse.

And in several of those posts I have stated that I believe its highly likely that Mr Armitage is guilty. My overarching message is that there must be evidence. My posts have nothing to do with his nationality but the story is of particular interest to me as I live in the Yorkshire Dales.

That's normal - the OP is asking about large amounts - how much did you send?

And the tone of your post shows that you seem to think anyone who the police want to talk to must be guilty. I have also been questioned and eventually charged - the police acting with the flimiest of evidence yet the CPS chose to prosecute. A weaker person may well have been convicted - I fought and was cleared of all charges. More than that, the judge in my case instructed the police to visit his offices the following week and explain just how they had come to their conclusions as there was some serious malpractice on their part. I'm not going to do my dirty washing in public but suffice to say, I had reported a problem no less than 14 times - all recorded and the police failed to take action - the judge also wanted an explanation of that. I defended myself and asked the police to provide their records of my complaint to the court as evidence. They failed to do that on 2 occasions (I wonder why) and the judge told them that if they failed to do so a third time, he would throw the case out. It was quite amusing listening to the police trying to wriggle out of the situation - the judge clearly realised that I had been 'fitted up' and was having none of it. We cannot assume that a person is guilty of anything without good, factual evidence - that has happened too many times. Way too many 'kangaroo court' members on this forum.

And the other examples?

Totally agree. What many people don't realise is that to the police, its just a job. They are given a case to deal with and they don't care who they convict, as long as they can close the case. Evidence for my claims: Andrew Malkinson - 17 years in prison for rape. Many appeals, all refused. Last year DNA evidence surfaced that proved the rapist was a different person. The Post Office Horizon Scandal - hundreds of Post office employees convicted of stealing money that turned out to be a software glitch. The very fact that so many of them were shoutinng their case from the rooftops and the similarities in the circumstances of their 'offences' should have set alarm bells ringing - there was clearly something wong. People have even been executed for crimes they didn't commit. OK, it was many years ago but the man is still dead. Timothy Evans, wrongly convictedof murdering his wife and daughter. During his trial, Evans accused his downstairs neighbour, John Christie, who was the chief prosecution witness in the case against him, of committing the murders. Three years after Evans's execution, Christie was found to be a serial killer who had murdered several other women in the same house, including his own wife Ethel. Christie was himself sentenced to death, and while awaiting execution, he confessed to having murdered Mrs. Evans. An official inquiry concluded in 1966 that Christie had murdered Evans's daughter Geraldine, and Evans was granted a posthumous pardon. The High Court dismissed proceedings to officially quash Evans's murder conviction in 2004 on the grounds of the cost and resources that would be involved, but acknowledged that Evans did not murder his wife or his daughter, 54 years after his wrongful execution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Evans That's just three, there have been thousands. Between June 2019 and March 2020 there were 1366 successful appeals against conviction in the UK. https://www.law.ac.uk/about/press-releases/wrongful-convictions/

On what charge? His alleged offence was committed in the UK, Thailand has no jurisdiction over crimes committed in the UK.

Plenty of teachers work well beyond the Thai retirement age. They are unlikely to be given a job if they are over 60 before starting work but if they turn 60 during their employment, its up to their employer.

Before making your comments and attempting to be sarcastic, maybe you should have read the entire thread - especially the statement supplied by another member from North Yorkshire Police where it appears they know nothing about any extradition request - despite what is stated in the report. Here, in a post by MicroB yesterday: A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of the detention in Thailand of David Armitage, the husband of Lamduan Armitage. We understand it relates to his visa status and residence in Thailand and is entirely a matter for the Immigration Service of the Royal Thai Police. “Should Mr Armitage be deported, we understand that he will have a choice as to where he goes, which will include return to the UK. Should that occur, we will again make every effort to speak to him about the investigation." Noboby is trying to be a defence lawyer in support of a fellow countryman, they are simply pointing out the law and the fact that the UK police have been hampered by a lack of evidence in this case from the beginning. Whilst it seems highly likely that this man killed his Thai wife, there must be evidence and the right person must be convicted. In a case last year, a man spent 17 years in prison for rape based on dodgy evidence. Eventually, DNA evidence proved the rapist was a different person.

Circumstantial evidence does not carry the same weight as direct evidence, especially when there is no direct evidence. For example: you may commit a crime within a building. I may see you walking down the street afterwards and bear witness to that. If there is no evidence that you were actually in the building and no further evidence exists - a conviction would be highly unlikely and almost certainly appealed successfully as unsafe. Circumstantial evidence is mainly used to back up direct evidence. Juries are more likely to take account of circumstantial evidence than judges are - which is why such convictions are often dismissed at appeal. Juries decide most criminal cases, judges rule on appeals.

Quite. Reports supporting that view have been on TV all day - in fact Trump stated that he would be calling Starmer within 24 hours.

As far as I know, there are legal options that he can pursue in Thailand. I'm pretty sure he will be able to appeal against his residency being revoked. If that is the case then surely a judge will ask what evidence there is to support Immigration's claim. If North Yorkshire Police cannot come up with enough evidence to support a request for extradition, then how can Immigration claim he is a threat? Its all very confusing and it would be good to know what the facts are.

Not a critcism of your post at all but the quote from North Yorkshire Police does not mention extradition at all - quite the contrary in fact. The article here states: He was subsequently detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Suan Phlu, Bangkok, for extradition proceedings under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between Thailand and the United Kingdom. It would be useful to know what the actual position is.

Based on the stories and reports about this case that has returned to the news several times over the past few years - there is a high likelihood that this man is guilty. However, for a prosecution to be successful, at least in the UK, there has to be evidence. Several other cases that have come to light over the last few years where evidence had been on the 'light side' at trial have resulted in reversals on appeal - albeit on some occassions much later. That is one problem with the jury system but now there's a far higher chance that a judge will give some direction to the jury. In some cases that direction is to acquit. Nobody wants to see a guilty man go free but there must be evidence or there can be no justice. I suspect that the UK police want to interview Armitage in the hope that he'll crack - yes they do that. If they have evidence, they will (or should) have to present it to the Thai courts in order for them to consider extradition.

I travel from Suvarnabhumi or Bangkok to Pak Chong and back regularly using the same taxi guy who lives near Don Mueang - 2500 inc tip and he's happy to stop for coffee. My driver doesn't speak much English but he's reliable and punctual. I'm guessing that his charge to Korat would be around 3000. Its a while since I've been to DMK but I presume they have a 'Meeting Point' - my guy doesn't speak much English but he'll happily meet your friend there or send a photo of where he is waiting if your friend uses LINE. PM if you want his number.

Election? 😃😃😃. What election? The result was known before the ballot boxes were delivered. Why won't Lukashenko allow OSCE observers to oversee the election? Why do you bring this down to left and right? Opposing the tyrant Lukeshenko, a thoroughly despicable excuse for a human being, responsible for the deaths and impisonment of thousands doesn't make someone left. Believe it or not, the people of Belarus simply want true democracy where they choose their leader. That doesn't make them lefties, it just makes them people who want to choose their own destiny, not live in fear of Putin's puppet. Democracy in Belarus is just a sham, anyone who looks like even the slightest threat to Lukashenko is eliminated one way or another. He knows very well that if he allowed fair and free elections, he would be history. Two of the 'opposition' leaders that have been 'allowed' to take part in the election have openly stated that they are Lukashenko supporters. Why is it, do you think, that so many people who oppose him have to live in exile.

Are they? Funny, I thought this was a place where we discussed things.

My Thai home is very close to Khao Yai National Park. Although I don't live there permanenty yet, I've had it for over 10 years and have spent a lot of time there. I will be moving there permanently within 2 months. It all depends on what you are looking for but I've travelled to many places in Thailand and my area suits me well - I love it there. Depending on how close to the park you choose you can get the best of both countryside and city - with travel between the two being very easy and fast. My home would be considered as rural yet I'm 5 minutes from a 7/11, 7 minutes from Makro and 10 minutes from Lotus's (Tesco). There's bars, restaurants, hospitals. markets, night clubs etc. in Pak Chong - 15 minutes away. The new M6 Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima motorway should be fully open soon and construction of a high speed rail system between Bangkok and Nong Nong Khai is underway. That will provide travel to Bangkok in 55 minutes. The downside of these new transport systems is that land prices have risen dramatically since they were announced and there has been a lot of new development. Things seem to have calmed down now but be prepared to pay at least 1 mill for a small single house plot close to a road with electric close by - the guy next door to me is a little optimistic and wants 2 mill for a single plot. Its been for sale for quite a while 😃. Crime? My house was broken into during Covid as so many were but I suppose being empty for much of a 10 year period sort of invites that. I've increased security and so far have not had any more problems. Other than that, I've never had any problems locally. I have a lot of Thai friends in the area and have been made very welcome.

If either of your posts made any sense, I might be able to comment.

With a decent lawyer he may well be able to stay in Thaland. Note he is being considered as a threat so his residency permit has been revoked. What is the threat? With very little evidence against him in the UK, extradition may fail. The Thai authorities may also have difficulty in proving he's a threat. They've known about him for quite a long time and I don't think he's done anything wrong whilst he's been in Thailand that would make him a threat. Hence a decent lawyer may get this reversed. I'm not supporting this man in any way at all - I'm just looking at the legal perspective.

Elections are taking place in Belarus. With most oppostion leaders either in prison or exiled, I wonder who will win? 😁

Agreed, much like road safety proposals we hear every New Year and Songkran - the Thai government talk a lot but do very little. I just don't understand why the subject of tracking foreigners in one form or another seems to come up every few months. Its only my opinion but they should just leave it alone - criminals wll get in one way or another if they really want to, ways are always found. Drawing a parallel with car security - various measures have been taken and security upgraded over the years. Now the criminals break into your house and steal your keys - or worse, carjack you, car thefts are actually up. I think they just like talking about this. Nothing they do will actually stop tourists going somewhere other than they have stated - unless they propose introducing chaperones

There you go with the paranoia accusations again. Do you understand the word 'if' - or are you just one of those who skim reads and draws conclusions based on what they think they've read?

This is what makes me laugh. Fair enough, cocaine is illegal - as are most other drugs. How is it then that black guys have the nerve to directly approach you and offer an array of drugs almost right in front of a police box as they do in Sukhumvit? Not only opposite a police box - the whole area is on camera. It would not be possible without the 'permission' of a certain authority. Considering the above - which many members here will know is true - how can they charge/convict others for selling/possessing drugs. A case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.