Amazing fall from grace for Pattaya big shot Luke Cook - respected expat to death row in Thailand

[pattayabgoodboy]

 

3 minutes ago, Gang Warily said:

In the case of Shoebridge being asked about him supplying the cars and house for Bagnato - which were used in Schneider's murder Shoebridge replied that it was his wife's business. I don't think the court was interested. Similarly I do not believe the court was told that all these characters were working for Colonel Dullayapat

Oh where did you read that?

[pattayabgoodboy]

33 minutes ago, Gang Warily said:

In the case of Shoebridge being asked about him supplying the cars and house for Bagnato - which were used in Schneider's murder Shoebridge replied that it was his wife's business. I don't think the court was interested. Similarly I do not believe the court was told that all these characters were working for Colonel Dullayapat

Wow even the Aussies think this guy was involved. Shoebridge's name is all over the coroners report.

Schneider findings.pdf

[Gang Warily]

1 hour ago, pattayabgoodboy said:

 

Oh where did you read that?

This isn't coming out of thin air. ????I asked a person who sat through the entire trial who also told me that Shoebridge denied any involvement with steroids. How much of this will have been actually recorded I do not know. No verbatim record is taken at Thai trials - only the summary, which the judge speaks into his microphone (and hands the tape for typing into computer by court clerk) Records are open to the defence/prosecution, but not public as far as I am aware, Usually have to approach one of the two sides.

[balo]

5 hours ago, pattayabgoodboy said:

I want to know more about this 23 American guy, Tyler Gerard. looks like his family has a gofundme page.  Looks like he is sick in the Big Tiger.

https://www.gofundme.com/support-for-tracy-and-jerry

His sentence was reduced to 2 years in February 2017, so he should be out of jail soon. 

 

"US man Tyler Gerard, 22, was convicted of deprivation of liberty and sentenced to three years in jail, but his penalty was reduced to two years because of his co-operation with authorities."

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38888797

 

 

 

[pattayabgoodboy]

14 minutes ago, balo said:

His sentence was reduced to 2 years in February 2017, so he should be out of jail soon. 

 

"US man Tyler Gerard, 22, was convicted of deprivation of liberty and sentenced to three years in jail, but his penalty was reduced to two years because of his co-operation with authorities."

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38888797

 

 

 

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/accomplice-hells-angel-murder-rearrested-drug-charges-195532

No he is on death row in Bangkwang

“We knew that both the dead and the living were involved in drugs,” said another senior Thai police officer, Lt-Gen. Thanitsak Thiraswadi, before the trial began.

And last week, that Thai court agreed with them. The guilty pleas led to death sentences for Cook, his wife and his bikie brother.

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/veneer-of-boats-bars-and-baht-fell-apart-for-luke-cook-ng-b881018367z

[pattayabgoodboy]

1 hour ago, Gang Warily said:

This isn't coming out of thin air. ????I asked a person who sat through the entire trial who also told me that Shoebridge denied any involvement with steroids. How much of this will have been actually recorded I do not know. No verbatim record is taken at Thai trials - only the summary, which the judge speaks into his microphone (and hands the tape for typing into computer by court clerk) Records are open to the defence/prosecution, but not public as far as I am aware, Usually have to approach one of the two sides.

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/veneer-of-boats-bars-and-baht-fell-apart-for-luke-cook-ng-b881018367z

Did they plead guilty

[balo]

4 hours ago, pattayabgoodboy said:

No he is on death row in Bangkwang

 

"

Tyler Joseph Fulton Sheen Gerard was taken into custody again by Tourist and Immigration police Dec. 11 in front of his parents after completing a two-year sentence Dec. 4.

The charges stem from an Interpol “red notice” filed before Gerard was arrested Dec. 2, 2015 at the Cambodian border for his part in the brutal beating death of Schneider in Pattaya."

 

If he was with his parents Dec. 4 , why didn't they just flee the country , he was arrested again on Dec. 11.

 

Maybe his family is living in Thailand ? 

Edited January 10, 2019 by balo

[Dick Crank]

On January 8, 2019 at 7:28 PM, wgdanson said:

Many pro soccer and rugby players look as if they should be down the Mosque after the match.

I too dated many many girls over my years as a pro musician, and NONE of them had beards or liked facial hair.!!     lol 

Hey man, Nothing beats a properly maintained goatee. The question is can you care for it, or do you let yourself go?

 

do you work out, shave/trim your pubes and entire body bi-weekly, use good scents and body scrub daily?

 

if not, facial hair won't work for you. Why? Because like the rest of your body it's going to look like crap, go figure.

 

judging by the hairy legs and apes I see in pattaya these days I have to admit I'm glad facial hair is not that common here. Not many squeaky clean or we'll kept dudes around at all. Must be all the drinking or lack of discipline in general.

[Huckenfell]

On 1/4/2019 at 3:00 AM, bojo said:

Bit of a broadsweeping statement. I know and have known many who live there. For the most part, decent people and I would imagine many upstanding citizens would respect them.

 

I have just read this thread, well speed read and a couple of points stuck out.

One was the expat, who wholeheartedly told of his encounter with the alleged drug dealer, Luke, in regard to some yacht business. He had nothing but praise for Luke as a genuine businessman.

 

Reading between the lines, and incidentally, I didn't read the media article as it will be mostly fabricated and bias anyway........ did a man, who is easily influenced, possibly intimidated and or coerced, really commit this alleged crime?

 

Perhaps if some of the do gooders on this thread who want him stoned to death were to follow the case closer, they might find reason to cast doubt on his guilt or at least mitigate some of his guilt.

 

Innocent until proven guilty, I say

At the first instance my inclination was "hang the bastard"  however as time goes on and more comes to light i am beginning to think that things just do not add up and perhaps this is another case of Koh Tao justice at its best.

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Dick Crank said:

Hey man, Nothing beats a properly maintained goatee. The question is can you care for it, or do you let yourself go?

 

do you work out, shave/trim your pubes and entire body bi-weekly, use good scents and body scrub daily?

 

if not, facial hair won't work for you. Why? Because like the rest of your body it's going to look like crap, go figure.

 

judging by the hairy legs and apes I see in pattaya these days I have to admit I'm glad facial hair is not that common here. Not many squeaky clean or we'll kept dudes around at all. Must be all the drinking or lack of discipline in general.

Crank by name, etc....?

[simon43]

If they are not the same tattoo, then both people have a brown mole in the same place on their arm...

[BestB]

I always use to read Andrew D site when he lived here as it was a real eye opener.

 

With him being gone, I am somewhat sceptical how and where he gets the information and verifies it.

 

Not saying he is wrong, just somewhat sceptical.

 

about Cook, Sure BMW could be leased but lease still requires payments and last time I checked , BM leases are NOT few thousand baht per month and his BM was not a basic bottom range 3 series.

[KittenKong]

On 1/3/2019 at 3:59 PM, pattayabgoodboy said:

I think the the tattoos are a match to the famous french police volunteer .



 

These tattoos aren't even remotely similar as far as I can see.

 

The small photo at the bottom left appears to show a shoulder and the top of an arm, possibly seen through something like a car window, whereas the small photo bottom right is taken from larger photo above it and clearly shows a wrist and hand being held upright ie the wrong way round.

 

As for the mole in the larger photo also being visible in the smaller one bottom right, of course it is: they are the same photo and the smaller one has been cropped and enlarged from the larger one.

[Scouse123]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

These tattoos aren't even remotely similar as far as I can see.

 

The small photo at the bottom left appears to show a shoulder and the top of an arm, possibly seen through something like a car window, whereas the small photo bottom right is taken from larger photo above it and clearly shows a wrist and hand being held upright ie the wrong way round.

 

As for the mole in the larger photo also being visible in the smaller one bottom right, of course it is: they are the same photo and the smaller one has been cropped and enlarged from the larger one.

 

 

Who in all honesty really cares whether or not the tattoos are the same?

 

The main point to be considered in this thread, is that in all probability Thailand has yet another innocent man set up by scum and is now on death row, even if they don't execute him and his wife, their lives as they know them, are ruined. The French scumbag and his associates who were nothing more than plastic, mickey mouse, policemen, and police grasses and snitches whilst running a large drugs operation themselves,

 

They were AND STILL ARE,  producing dangerous steroids that are known to kill people in the bodybuilding game, and they are free and enjoying life, and boasting how they have stitched a man up!

 

I think Luke Cook, maybe wanted a bit of excitement in his life with his beer bar and restaurant, he seems to have been a man who was hardworking and genuine according to those who came into contact with him, had the misfortune of ending up in the same company as filth and didn't know how to get out of it.

 

Pattaya, the same as Phuket, is a dangerous cesspool in business and full of dark figures and mafia want-to-be idiots, with protection from the authorities, and plenty of them in brown uniforms as well.

Edited January 12, 2019 by Scouse123

[Patriot1066]

On 11/14/2018 at 1:13 PM, georgegeorgia said:

Im not sure what jail he will be in but by far the worse jail i visited was the Bang Kwang Jail in Bangkok about 6 years ago.

 

This is a jail that they nickname the Big Tiger because it eats you up.

 

I have visited many jails  ( volunteer and part time work for a charity) but I have never encountered such rude nasty thai people as i did visiting in there and they were the officers, they just didnt care about people mmany of them not a ounce of kindness, they would snarl their faces at you and sometimes not even answer.

 

these officers are not like ordinary thais ,they look yiu direct in the eyes as they snarl and talk down to you.

 

i was once enquiring where a certain prisoner was and his welfare, the senior officer kept saying “ huh , ! Huh ! Screwing his face up 

Like it was pains for him to talk to me.he was a half indian thai officer with a turban on ,he slammed a door in my face as i was asking about a prisoners welfare.

 

They even had some nickname for one low bassstard thai prison guard , apparently his nickname reflected  on how he liked to hurt and punish prisoners. 

and anyone thinking Bang Kwang is like Pattaya jail better grow up fast ,its nothing like it.

 

 

i remember one guy telling me that once the large crowded room cell is locked at night they do not open until morning even if your bleeding to death ! Terrible place !

Sounds like an ideal prison to me, so when they get released they do not want to go back.

 

Drug dealers, peodohiles, murderrs rapists deserve the harshest possible treatment we can offer them. Looks like the Thais have it spot on in dealing with them. Great they detest people suggesting otherwise.

 

I am not in Bangkok enough as might volunteer myself at that prison hopefully loosing the Keys. Might try Chaingmai instead?

 

https://www.volunteerthailand.org/

 

Shame nothing on here about volunteering at any prison, perhaps you have a contact ?

[Gang Warily]

17 hours ago, BestB said:

I always use to read Andrew D site when he lived here as it was a real eye opener.

 

With him being gone, I am somewhat sceptical how and where he gets the information and verifies it.

 

Not saying he is wrong, just somewhat sceptical.

 

about Cook, Sure BMW could be leased but lease still requires payments and last time I checked , BM leases are NOT few thousand baht per month and his BM was not a basic bottom range 3 series.

Andrew D has good contacts built up over 25 years plus and uses all the social media apps line Line, WhatsApp etc. He does not need to go to all the places he writes about. If he was here he'd still be writing this from Bangkok. no doubt. He strenuously seeks multiple sources. And the net allows him to give detail nor normally given in newspapers or TV news.

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by Gang Warily

[KittenKong]

19 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Who in all honesty really cares whether or not the tattoos are the same?

I imagine that the guy in the photo cares.

 

19 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

The main point to be considered in this thread, is that in all probability Thailand has yet another innocent man set up by scum and is now on death row, even if they don't execute him and his wife, their lives as they know them, are ruined. The French scumbag and his associates who were nothing more than plastic, mickey mouse, policemen, and police grasses and snitches whilst running a large drugs operation themselves,

I doubt that there are many innocent farang businessmen in Pattaya. He may not have done what he was locked up for, but he probably did other things instead. And apparently he also made the stupid mistake of mixing with other crooks and lowlifes.

 

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[BestB]

6 hours ago, Gang Warily said:

Andrew D has good contacts built up over 25 years plus and uses all the social media apps line Line, WhatsApp etc. He does not need to go to all the places he writes about. If he was here he'd still be writing this from Bangkok. no doubt. He strenuously seeks multiple sources. And the net allows him to give detail nor normally given in newspapers or TV news.

 

That’s rather silly assertions to make . It’s like saying no investigative jorno needs to be where investigations take place because he has internet 

[BestB]

32 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I imagine that the guy in the photo cares.

 

I doubt that there are many innocent farang businessmen in Pattaya. He may not have done what he was locked up for, but he probably did other things instead. And apparently he also made the stupid mistake of mixing with other crooks and lowlifes.

 

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

So you saying everyone who owns business in Thailand is a hardcore criminal or at the very least a criminal one way or another ?

 

Did it ever occur to you being in a hotel , restaurant and a bar business you always mix with people? Does not mean you become best buddies but you do mix with people good and bad

[KittenKong]

24 minutes ago, BestB said:

So you saying everyone who owns business in Thailand is a hardcore criminal or at the very least a criminal one way or another ?

Not at all. But I doubt that many farangs who run businesses in Pattaya always obey the law in all their dealings or are even always honest. Just look at their backgrounds. Some of the best known people here have criminal records where they came from, and that is often the reason they left wherever they came from.

 

26 minutes ago, BestB said:

Did it ever occur to you being in a hotel , restaurant and a bar business you always mix with people? Does not mean you become best buddies but you do mix with people good and bad

If I ran such an establishment here I would talk to my customers as needed. However I would certainly not get involved with them outside of my establishment, nor would I enter into any business deals with them.

Of course the likelihood of me ever getting involved with businesses like that is zero, as I dont need the hassle or the money. Those who do get involved should probably expect the worst.

[balo]

That’s rather silly assertions to make . It’s like saying no investigative jorno needs to be where investigations take place because he has internet 

Andrew is a respected journalist for more than 30 years, I trust him more than any internet troll making sensational headlines.
His network is wide and he use it.

[BestB]

5 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Not at all. But I doubt that many farangs who run businesses in Pattaya always obey the law in all their dealings or are even always honest. Just look at their backgrounds. Some of the best known people here have criminal records where they came from, and that is often the reason they left wherever they came from.

 

If I ran such an establishment here I would talk to my customers as needed. However I would certainly not get involved with them outside of my establishment, nor would I enter into any business deals with them.

Of course the likelihood of me ever getting involved with businesses like that is zero, as I dont need the hassle or the money. Those who do get involved should probably expect the worst.

You realise you posting utter rubbish right? Well known? You mean those that made Thai visa headlines ? 

 

You are not in business , were never in business and yet here you are commenting on how businesses are run ????

[BestB]

2 hours ago, balo said:

Andrew is a respected journalist for more than 30 years, I trust him more than any internet troll making sensational headlines.
His network is wide and he use it.
 

Did not question his integrity, however he is no longer in Thailand and verifying information in a place like Thailand is not a walk in the park. Neither you or I know about his network. 

 

As I said, when he lived in Thailand it was a different matter now that he has been gone for a few years just unsure how accurate all the information is 

[Scouse123]

9 hours ago, KittenKong said:

I imagine that the guy in the photo cares.

 

I doubt that there are many innocent farang businessmen in Pattaya. He may not have done what he was locked up for, but he probably did other things instead. And apparently he also made the stupid mistake of mixing with other crooks and lowlifes.

 

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

 

 

 

That is not the brightest response to put on here when a man has been sentenced to death and had his life, his family's life and his wife's life all ruined at the hands of others, in the likelihood that he never committed what he was accused of.

 

But you think that is OK because he possibly mixed with the wrong kind of people without even knowing who they were? He had already stated he was afraid of these people and trying to put some distance between him and them, and judging by events, rightly so.

 

You have some weird logic indeed if that warrants a death sentence in Thailand.

[observer90210]

These are the type of hard core criminals Big Joke should go after, lock up or clean up !!....not the helpless illegal restaurant helpers or cooks, with visa overstay and who work honestly in jobs no Thai can do for a miserable salary

[Gang Warily]

10 hours ago, BestB said:

That’s rather silly assertions to make . It’s like saying no investigative jorno needs to be where investigations take place because he has internet 

Do you think Wikileaks has an office in Panama?  It helps to be present but not necessary in many cases. Indeed it is safer not to be. I doubt whether he would be able to make these allegations if he were, say, living in Pattaya. Where it falls down sometimes is confronting the miscreant - always better to do with with a colleague and a camera/recorder. That would have been quite dangerous considering Shoebridge was the No 1 witness against Luke Cook and Drummond almost certainly would have had police over him like a rash.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Gang Warily
inserted question mark and comma

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, BestB said:

You are not in business , were never in business and yet here you are commenting on how businesses are run

Actually I have run three very successful businesses, including one that was in the hospitality sector. But none of them was in Thailand and neither I nor any of my clients were murderers or dealers in prohibited items.

[Gang Warily]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Did not question his integrity, however he is no longer in Thailand and verifying information in a place like Thailand is not a walk in the park. Neither you or I know about his network. 

 

As I said, when he lived in Thailand it was a different matter now that he has been gone for a few years just unsure how accurate all the information is 

I think it is quite clear from the links provided that his sources are former 'police volunteers' who drew the line at setting people up for the death penalty. Clearly as he points out none of these people are whiter than white - but it provides a good insight into how they work. The other sources such as the inquest in Australia are public records which he found on the net and pointed out the significance of - and of course other witnesses were steroid dealers who had done deals for 'non prosecution'.  So there is nothing really hidden in his reports. The question everybody us asking is 'Where is Bagnato now. On what charges is he being held - and indeed, is he being held?  It must have taken some doing to get off the murder charge looking at the evidence presented to the NSW inquest.  You're right verifying information in Thailand is very difficult. And you won't get if from police. The other point which somebody raised is - how was the young 23-year-old American surfer type kid prosecuted at all, solely on the evidence of one discredited police volunteer. 

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

That is not the brightest response to put on here when a man has been sentenced to death and had his life, his family's life and his wife's life all ruined at the hands of others, in the likelihood that he never committed what he was accused of.

 

But you think that is OK because he possibly mixed with the wrong kind of people without even knowing who they were? He had already stated he was afraid of these people and trying to put some distance between him and them, and judging by events, rightly so.

 

You have some weird logic indeed if that warrants a death sentence in Thailand.

The phrase "live by the sword, die by the sword" does not mean that I advocate the death penalty for anyone. I could just as well have used the phrase "lie down with dogs, get up with fleas" and it would be equally valid.

 

Anyone who runs a bar in a town like this should expect to come into contact with criminals and other lowlifes quite often. I certainly would, and that's why I would never get involved in any such business here, under any circumstances. I dont like that sort of person and I dont even want to see them, let alone talk to them or rub shoulders with them.

 

Innocent or guilty, this guy was an idiot to mix with lowlifes. If he wanted to get out of it he should have found himself a proper job or business, dealing with honest and decent people. Which would probably have meant going home.

[marqus12]

2 hours ago, observer90210 said:

These are the type of hard core criminals Big Joke should go after, lock up or clean up !!....not the helpless illegal restaurant helpers or cooks, with visa overstay and who work honestly in jobs no Thai can do for a miserable salary

Many ignorants on TV do not understand this .