Briton Wanted In The Uk Arrested For Stealing Gold And Money

[sriracha john]

English Man Wanted in UK arrested after he steals gold and money

At 9.30pm on Friday, a call was received by Police Lieutenant Colonel Sirichai from Pattaya Police Station from Khun Rachanee aged 33 who informed Police that a foreign man, who she had met on the Walking Street, had just stolen her gold bracelet and some money from a Hotel room.

Police arrived and arrested Mr. Benjamin Gardner, aged 27, from England. He was caught in a nearby public toilet where he was attempting to hide from police.

Upon his arrest he informed Police that he had placed the bracelet and the victim’s purse in a small hole in the roof of the toilet block. The suspected thief along with the victim were taken to Pattaya Police Station.

Mr. Gardner confirmed that he resides at the Niran Grand Condo in Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya with his pregnant girlfriend. He has been traveling around Asia and has now run out of money and decided to steal the bracelet along with 500 Baht in cash from Khun Rachanee to begin to replenish his funds.

Mr. Gardner, who possessed a passport valid for only 1 year, confessed to officers that he is on the run from authorities in UK and is wanted on a number of charges including assault, robbery and failing to appear in Court.

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities. Mr. Gardner is now on remand awaiting a court appearance and the UK Embassy in Bangkok are also involved in the case.

For now he will face charges of theft and visa irregularities here in Thailand with the possibility of facing deportation because of outstanding arrest warrants in UK.

- PCN

Edited May 6, 2007 by sriracha john

[TAWP]

Pure scum.

[A_Traveller]

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities

What's interesting here is the passport image shows the Passport was issued by FCO, with a one year validity!

Did he, does he, have others I wonder?

Sure he'll have a deserved warm welcome from the plod upon his return.

Regards

/edit amend error in original post //

Edited May 6, 2007 by A_Traveller

[ronw]

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities.

How is this possible?

Apart from that....good riddance to scum like this!!

[draggons]

One of many ducking and diving around SE Asia.

Just deserts comming up

[taxexile]

UK and is wanted on a number of charges including assault, robbery and failing to appear in Court.

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities.

i see that the consular staff , pen pushers and peons employed at the british embassy by the foriegn office to serve their citizens abroad have been made a fool of by a third rate low life criminal.

how on earth could he replace his passport without his record back home being checked ?

if any embassy staff read this thread then maybe they would be able to answer that.

hopefully he will do his couple of years in prison here for the theft , before being sent back to do his 10 hours community service in blighty .

then he can sign on.

god bless england and pity the poor taxpayers having to foot the bill for our embassy staff and criminals.

[sceadugenga]

Interesting from a theoretical point of view. Could he report his passport stolen at the British Embassy with out them realising he's wanted in the UK and replacing it? I mean, "homeland security" is about people coming into the country, not going out. Is the right hand unaware of what the left hand is doing?

Maybe he was buying stolen passports? Khao San Road blanks?

A slow learner, he should have watched what the Thai guys do, when GF1 is pregnant, send GF2 out to work.

[colino]

KARMA

what goes around comes around (its so true)

[endure]

UK and is wanted on a number of charges including assault, robbery and failing to appear in Court.

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities.

i see that the consular staff , pen pushers and peons employed at the british embassy by the foriegn office to serve their citizens abroad have been made a fool of by a third rate low life criminal.

how on earth could he replace his passport without his record back home being checked ?

Because UK citizens aren't subject to any form of criminal record check when they obtain a passport.

[taxexile]

Because UK citizens aren't subject to any form of criminal record check when they obtain a passport.

well that answers that then.

but i would have thought that the police , as a matter of course , keep a database of missing and wanted people , and that this database would be circulated and updated to embassies abroad.

.... and if they dont , well they bl00dy well ought to.

[Maestro]

would have thought that the police , as a matter of course , keep a database of missing and wanted people , and that this database would be circulated and updated to embassies abroad.

My guess is that this is not being done because it would be considered a violation of human rights as interpreted by the British government.

--

Maestro

[endure]

Because UK citizens aren't subject to any form of criminal record check when they obtain a passport.

well that answers that then.

but i would have thought that the police , as a matter of course , keep a database of missing and wanted people , and that this database would be circulated and updated to embassies abroad.

.... and if they dont , well they bl00dy well ought to.

We don't have any form of national police force in the UK, unlike the FBI in the US. The 'police' encompasses 43 separate forces, each of which covers a specific area of the country. We do have some specialised national forces (British Transport Police - they police the railway system, Civil Nuclear Constabulary - they police nuclear power stations, Ministry of Defence Police - they police military establishments) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) which is responsible for going after organised crime.

A UK national police force is bit of a touchy subject as lots of people believe that it would change the relationship between the police and the general public.

[sriracha john]

Thank you for that information regarding the UK police system. It's really rather surprising for someone to be able to get a new passport without any sort of check being done.

So one can deduce then that there are an untold number of others just like him here that just haven't been found out yet?? That's rather disconcerting....

Edited May 6, 2007 by sriracha john

[JimsKnight]

With the visa enforcement tightening the screw hopefully more low-life twts like this will get flushed out of Thailand.

[endure]

Thank you for that information regarding the UK police system. It's really rather surprising for someone to be able to get a new passport without any sort of check being done.

So one can deduce then that there are an untold number of others just like him here that just haven't been found out yet?? That's rather disconcerting....

In the UK a passport is simply a document which proves your identity. Obtaining a passport is not usually conditional on your past behaviour, only on proving that you are who you say you are.

[sriracha john]

Thank you for that information regarding the UK police system. It's really rather surprising for someone to be able to get a new passport without any sort of check being done.

So one can deduce then that there are an untold number of others just like him here that just haven't been found out yet?? That's rather disconcerting....

In the UK a passport is simply a document which proves your identity. Obtaining a passport is not usually conditional on your past behaviour, only on proving that you are who you say you are.

I can appreciate that it's a way of proving your identity, but in doing so.. it seems that most other countries do some degree of screening for "wanted" status prior to issuing it. I recall a fellow Commonwealther (if there's such a word) in Australia that was wanted there and "found out" here in Thailand when he tried to get a replacement passport made. Same for a wanted Canadian if I'm not mistaken.

As it is still a privilege (same as a drivers license) to obtain and have one, it seems like most places do some degree of verification that that privilege has not been abused (such as using it to stay away from one's country to avoid prosecution).

It's certainly up to the citizens of the UK to determine what their own regulations are... but it would seem that the UK is in the minority of world countries in terms of checks done on its passport applications.

[endure]

We've got fairly stringent privacy laws over here and we're rather keen on keeping data collected by one department of government confined to that department. I'm not sure whether it would actually be legal for the passport service to run checks on the Police National Computer. As you say different countries place a different amount of emphasis on things such as privacy, data sharing etc.

[click2delete]

He was caught in a nearby public toilet where he was attempting to hide from police.

With a few thousand baht buses on the street at any given moment, why don't these idiots just jump on?

[torrenova]

Don't deport him to get a slap on the wrist. Mega years in a Thai nick and send the Brits the bill. About Bt1000 per year isn't it ?

[sceadugenga]

Thank you for that information regarding the UK police system. It's really rather surprising for someone to be able to get a new passport without any sort of check being done.

So one can deduce then that there are an untold number of others just like him here that just haven't been found out yet?? That's rather disconcerting....

In the UK a passport is simply a document which proves your identity. Obtaining a passport is not usually conditional on your past behaviour, only on proving that you are who you say you are.

I can appreciate that it's a way of proving your identity, but in doing so.. it seems that most other countries do some degree of screening for "wanted" status prior to issuing it. I recall a fellow Commonwealther (if there's such a word) in Australia that was wanted there and "found out" here in Thailand when he tried to get a replacement passport made. Same for a wanted Canadian if I'm not mistaken.

As it is still a privilege (same as a drivers license) to obtain and have one, it seems like most places do some degree of verification that that privilege has not been abused (such as using it to stay away from one's country to avoid prosecution).

It's certainly up to the citizens of the UK to determine what their own regulations are... but it would seem that the UK is in the minority of world countries in terms of checks done on its passport applications.

There's certainly no criminal record check when applying for a passport in Australia. I know of two guys with extensive records including drug convictions who travel extensively and one has been to the US recently. How do I know them? Well...... would you believe they're bridge players at one of Australia's leading clubs which I also belonged to for years?

[Maigo6]

Sure he'll have a deserved warm welcome from the plod upon his return.

Regards

After living in Thailand on the bones of his azz for any length of time, he will probably be relieved that he will be finally going back home to England.

If he goes to Jail in the UK for a few months that is no hardship and he will get assistance to help himself sort his life out if he wants to sort his life out. And prison in the UK is hardly a tough existence is it, libraries, gyms, good food, plenty of visits, money each week to spend in canteen,TV's in the cells etc etc.........

Got to be better than living on the streets in Pattaya robbing people to survive.

[marshbags]

English Man Wanted in UK arrested after he steals gold and money

At 9.30pm on Friday, a call was received by Police Lieutenant Colonel Sirichai from Pattaya Police Station from Khun Rachanee aged 33 who informed Police that a foreign man, who she had met on the Walking Street, had just stolen her gold bracelet and some money from a Hotel room.

Police arrived and arrested Mr. Benjamin Gardner, aged 27, from England. He was caught in a nearby public toilet where he was attempting to hide from police.

Upon his arrest he informed Police that he had placed the bracelet and the victim’s purse in a small hole in the roof of the toilet block. The suspected thief along with the victim were taken to Pattaya Police Station.

Mr. Gardner confirmed that he resides at the Niran Grand Condo in Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya with his pregnant girlfriend. He has been traveling around Asia and has now run out of money and decided to steal the bracelet along with 500 Baht in cash from Khun Rachanee to begin to replenish his funds.

Mr. Gardner, who possessed a passport valid for only 1 year, confessed to officers that he is on the run from authorities in UK and is wanted on a number of charges including assault, robbery and failing to appear in Court.

He has been replacing his passport on a number of occasions to avoid detection by the UK authorities. Mr. Gardner is now on remand awaiting a court appearance and the UK Embassy in Bangkok are also involved in the case.

For now he will face charges of theft and visa irregularities here in Thailand with the possibility of facing deportation because of outstanding arrest warrants in UK.

- PCN

Sorry to leave his fate alone for a moment but.....................

What about his Pregnant Girlfiriend ? if this report is correct , i think we must hope she isn,t left in the proverbial brown stuff and has friends and family who can support through all this.

Things do not look very good for her at this , should it be genuine and not a made up story like the rest of it.

I note Taxexile has highlighted the false statement bit, but i thought best to give it the benefit of consideration on her part ??? just in case it,s true and we regeret not taking it into account.

Just a cautious observation to appreciate, if it,s lies then no problem regarding the outcome and a genuine thanks Taxexile for the additional highlight.

marshbags

Edited May 7, 2007 by marshbags

[taxexile]

seems he slapped her around as well.

British Man Beats Up and Robs Bar Girl

The Pattaya Police were informed on 5th May that a foreigner had beaten up a Thai bar girl. The man fled but was captured in Soi Yamoto off Beach Road.

At the scene the police found British national, Benjamin Gardner, aged 27, from Newport, being detained by residents and the victim Miss Ratchanee Wansoo, a staff member at the Tim Beer Bar. All were escorted to the police station together with the evidence that the man stole from the woman.

Miss Ratchanee, who was only wearing a towel, had many bruises and marks on her body. She stated that earlier that night she met this man on Walking Street when she was going to work with her friend. He offered her 500 Baht so she agreed and left her friend to go with him to PS Hotel, Soi Yamoto.

However, things got very nasty in the room as immediately he attacked and hit her across the face and then attempted to strangle the woman. Realizing she was in danger she pretended to pass out. He took off her gold bracelet and stole her wallet from her handbag. When he left the room she screamed for help and local people in the area soon caught up with the foreigner and detained him.

Gardner explained to the police through a translator that he confessed to beating up the woman and stealing from her. He did it because he didn’t have any money.

However, the statement proved false as police found more than ten thousand Baht on him. Further, his passport did not have a Thai entry stamp from Immigration. Gardner stated that he lost his original passport so recently got this new one at the British embassy in Bangkok.

The Pattaya Police detained Gardner and is now cooperating with the Immigration Department and Tourist Police to search for this man’s records.

Pattaya People

__________________

[kmart]

seems he slapped her around as well.

British Man Beats Up and Robs Bar Girl

The Pattaya Police were informed on 5th May that a foreigner had beaten up a Thai bar girl. The man fled but was captured in Soi Yamoto off Beach Road.

At the scene the police found British national, Benjamin Gardner, aged 27, from Newport, being detained by residents and the victim Miss Ratchanee Wansoo, a staff member at the Tim Beer Bar. All were escorted to the police station together with the evidence that the man stole from the woman.

Miss Ratchanee, who was only wearing a towel, had many bruises and marks on her body. She stated that earlier that night she met this man on Walking Street when she was going to work with her friend. He offered her 500 Baht so she agreed and left her friend to go with him to PS Hotel, Soi Yamoto.

However, things got very nasty in the room as immediately he attacked and hit her across the face and then attempted to strangle the woman. Realizing she was in danger she pretended to pass out. He took off her gold bracelet and stole her wallet from her handbag. When he left the room she screamed for help and local people in the area soon caught up with the foreigner and detained him.

Gardner explained to the police through a translator that he confessed to beating up the woman and stealing from her. He did it because he didn’t have any money.

However, the statement proved false as police found more than ten thousand Baht on him. Further, his passport did not have a Thai entry stamp from Immigration. Gardner stated that he lost his original passport so recently got this new one at the British embassy in Bangkok.

The Pattaya Police detained Gardner and is now cooperating with the Immigration Department and Tourist Police to search for this man’s records.

Pattaya People

__________________

Not sure about that. link with pics

This site is great for entertainment, btw. (of the train-wreck variety...)

Edited May 7, 2007 by kmart

[larvidchr]

We've got fairly stringent privacy laws over here and we're rather keen on keeping data collected by one department of government confined to that department. I'm not sure whether it would actually be legal for the passport service to run checks on the Police National Computer. As you say different countries place a different amount of emphasis on things such as privacy, data sharing etc.

In my country it is the Police that issues Pasports and driving licences, even if you go to the embassy in Bangkok to get a new one, they can not issue it, but will send the request home to the police, it takes 3 to 6 weeks to get, anybody wantet even if it is for just avoiding the draft, will be cought this way, it ofcause is a bit irritating that you have to wait so long for a pasport and it involves 2 trips to the embassy, but in this day and age with terroism i think it is what we have to put up with.

I find it surprising that Britan should be so lax about this, surely there must be a national database with all the wantets names on, even if there are 43 different local policeforces, and with the tragic bombings and other terror plots being unravelled in the UK, perpetrated by british passport holders, it is a valuable tool that your embassys helps tracking movements of wantet people or interesting people for that matter.

Anyway I hope it will take Thailand a real long time to proces that guy, if it is true that the girl had to play dead when he had a stranglehold of her, they could give him 20 years for attemted murder.

Edited May 7, 2007 by larvidchr

[WaiWai]

At 9.30pm on Friday, a call was received by Police Lieutenant Colonel Sirichai from Pattaya Police Station from Khun Rachanee aged 33 who informed Police that a foreign man, who she had met on the Walking Street, had just stolen her gold bracelet and some money from a Hotel room.

Police arrived and arrested Mr. Benjamin Gardner, aged 27, from England. He was caught in a nearby public toilet where he was attempting to hide from police.

Exceptionally fast police response ... were they watching him already, perhaps ?

[StateSix]

We've got fairly stringent privacy laws over here and we're rather keen on keeping data collected by one department of government confined to that department. I'm not sure whether it would actually be legal for the passport service to run checks on the Police National Computer. As you say different countries place a different amount of emphasis on things such as privacy, data sharing etc.

In my country it is the Police that issues Pasports and driving licences, even if you go to the embassy in Bangkok to get a new one, they can not issue it, but will send the request home to the police, it takes 3 to 6 weeks to get, anybody wantet even if it is for just avoiding the draft, will be cought this way, it ofcause is a bit irritating that you have to wait so long for a pasport and it involves 2 trips to the embassy, but in this day and age with terroism i think it is what we have to put up with.

I find it surprising that Britan should be so lax about this, surely there must be a national database with all the wantets names on, even if there are 43 different local policeforces, and with the tragic bombings and other terror plots being unravelled in the UK, perpetrated by british passport holders, it is a valuable tool that your embassys helps tracking movements of wantet people or interesting people for that matter.

Anyway I hope it will take Thailand a real long time to proces that guy, if it is true that the girl had to play dead when he had a stranglehold of her, they could give him 20 years for attemted murder.

As Endure says in his post, they do. Its called the Police National Computer and all police forces and security services have access to it. The passport is merely a form of ID and as such the Passport Agency just need to ensure that you are who you say you are. As Endure says, I am pretty sure that they are not allowed access to PNC as they are not a law enforcement agency.

[Begbie]

230 years ago Briton emptied it's scum onto Australia. Now it seems they're emptying it on S/E Asia.

Why are so many of the Brits in S/E Asia scumbags?

[kmart]

230 years ago Briton emptied it's scum onto Australia. Now it seems they're emptying it on S/E Asia.

Why are so many of the Brits in S/E Asia scumbags?

The same people a coupla hundred years ago were sent out all over the globe (to anywhere with anything worth stealing, ok) and grabbed an Empire unsurpassed in size...

And you're a "quality tourist" perchance?

[sriracha john]

GIRL HELPS HUNT DOWN BRITISH CON-ARTIST

An Englishman tricked a bar girl into going for a “short time” in a Pattaya hotel, then beat her up and stole her cash and a gold bracelet. The bar girl, initially “played possum”, pretending to be dead and then got up to pursue him, clad only in a towel. The robber later claimed to be destitute, despite having about 10,000 Baht in his pocket.

On 5th May 2007, at 1 am, Pol.Lt.Col. Sumet Harnwisai, South Pattaya, received notification that a tourist had abused a bar girl, stolen her belongings then escaped. An alert Good Samaritan vigilante motorcycle taxi driver, stationed at the top of the soi, had apparently heard the commotion coming from the entrance of the PS Hotel and seeing the fleeing Englishman, gave chase, managing to trap him in a nearby public toilet in Soi 13 (Soi Yamato), detaining him until the arrival of the Tourist Police.

The culprit, Mr.Benjamin Gardner, (28), an Englishman, was arrested and taken to the police station, after incriminating evidence in the form of a 15 gram gold bracelet and 1,500 Baht was found stashed a small hole in the roof of the toilet and the bruised and beaten victim, Miss Rachanee Wansuu (33), had identified him as her assailant. The victim, one of the staff of the Tim Beer Bar, accompanied the thief, still only dressed in her wraparound towel, to the police station.

Miss. Rachanee related to the police that she and her friends had been on their way to work at the Tim Beer Bar in Walking Street, South Pattaya. Reaching the entrance of Walking Street, she had been approached by Mr. Gardner, who persuaded her to go for a “short time” for 500 baht. Ms.Rachanee agreed, telling her friends to go on ahead to work.

Mr. Gardner took her straight to the P.S. Hotel, Soi 13/1, Pattaya Beach Road. Once in the hotel room, Mr. Gardner told her to take a shower and she took off her clothes and wrapped an towel around herself to prepare for a shower. Suddenly, Mr. Gardner set upon her, put her in a neck-lock, then threw her on the bed, beating her up and virtually strangled her. She was unable to retaliate, and pretended to be unconscious. Mr. Gardner then removed her gold bracelet and stole her wallet, saying that she deserved to die in the room. He then ran out onto the street.

As soon as she was aware that that the robber had left the room, Miss Rachanee, clutching the towel around her, chased after the robber, yelling for help as she went. Fortunately, Mr. Nathee Suk-pluem, (38) a motorbike-taxi rider, saw the incident, and chased the robber for about 200 meters until Mr. Gardner took refuge in a public toilet and held him until the police arrived, arrested him and took him away for questioning.

Mr. Gardner, via a translator, confessed to committing the crime, claiming destitution. However, he was found to have 10,000 Baht on his person. Mr. Gardner, who lives with his pregnant girlfriend in Niran Grand Condo, Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya, told the police he had been travelling around Asia, but was now desperately short of money, hence decided to find a suitable person to rob. While questioning Mr. Gardner, the police found irregularities in his passport, he lacked a current visa stamp and he confessed that he was actually on the run from the UK authorities and is wanted on a number of charges including assault, robbery and failing to appear in court. He attempted to avoid detection by changing his passport on more than one occasion.

Accordingly, the British Embassy is now involved and Mr. Gardner will not only face charges relating to visa irregularities, the assault and theft from Miss Rachanee, but also faces deportation back to the UK to face the outstanding charges of assault and robbery

- Pattaya Daily News