File photo : Chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo//AP

Koh Samui – The murder trial of a famous Spanish actor’s son opened Tuesday on a popular Thai tourist island, where he will face charges of killing another foreigner.

 

Chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, pleaded not guilty at a hearing in November to the murder of 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga on the nearby Koh Pha Ngan island.

 

The trial opened Tuesday on the honeymoon isle of Koh Samui, with scores of Spanish reporters flying in — despite being barred from the tiny courtroom.

 

Sancho’s father, well-known Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, arrived at court shortly after 8:30 am (0130 GMT).

 

“He is fine,” he said, declining to answer any further questions.

Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, representing Arrieta’s family, said outside court ahead of the trial they hoped that “Thai law will be forceful, that the truth can be told”.

 

“We hope that the family can close this painful stage of their life and that they can begin their mourning,” he said.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-09

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Thai law will be forceful, that the truth can be told”.

There is an easy way for this to happen.

Big Joke (charged with the wrongful exercise of duties and accepting bribes by the police), consider that the Spanish chef should be sentenced to death.

what a joke 😂😂😂

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Sancho’s father, well-known Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, arrived at court shortly after 8:30 am (0130 GMT).

 

“He is fine,” he said, declining to answer any further questions.

He won't be fine for much longer

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

Plea deals can be made especially in Thailands a few years back a guy I knew mother made a financial charitable donation for her son to receive a lighter sentence instead of the possibility of 15 years he got 5 he’s now back home in Scotland 

4 minutes ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

True he can only act as a consultant as lawyers from other countries cannot represent someone who is appearing in court in Thailand so he must have a Thai lawyer 

17 minutes ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

 

 

I think poorly worded report.

 

The Spanish lawyer is in Thailand representing the victim of the murder and looking after the interests of the victims family. The victim was Colombian, a Spanish-speaking nation.

 

No doubt he will be able to make representations to the court as to the damage this has done to the family of the victim and report back to them what is taking place in court.

 

He won't be taking part in the trial proceedings.

 

So, in effect, he could be there to offer impact statements.

29 minutes ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

He's representing them in a spokesman capacity. Not in court. 

2 hours ago, rexpotter said:

There is an easy way for this to happen.

They know,.....

Why is his face not pixelated?

1 hour ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

He is obviously not representing the victims family in court, he's just their lawyer, speaking on their behalf.  

20 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Why is his face not pixelated?

He's too handsome for the ladies for his face to be pixelated.

1 hour ago, crazykopite said:

1 hour ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

True he can only act as a consultant as lawyers from other countries cannot represent someone who is appearing in court in Thailand so he must have a Thai lawyer 

"...so he must have a Thai lawyer".

The victim (or his family) doesn't need a lawyer in court, it's the defendant who's on trial!

23 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Why is his face not pixelated?

Why should it be?

26 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Why is his face not pixelated?

 

 

Because he's been charged, I believe.

3 hours ago, Naroge said:

How can the Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano, represent Arrieta’s family unless he's also a Thai citizen and member of the Thai Bar Association?

His Lawyer is hiring a Thai Law firm and they're working together under his guidance.

Bronchalo claims he didn't kill the man.  However, he can't explain why he was seen scattering the dead guy's parts in different places on the island.  This guy is creepy.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The trial opened Tuesday on the honeymoon isle of Koh Samui,

 

From all I and everybody who read and followed the proceedings and ridiculous amounts of evidence produced, including buying the boat he used to dispose of some body parts, there is no way in a million years he can walk away with this as a not guilty.

 

It makes me wonder what kind of advice and representation he is receiving.

 

It is a strange affair.

5 hours ago, Superphoenix said:

His Lawyer is hiring a Thai Law firm and they're working together under his guidance.

 

 

They have just been conned into a waste of money, to be honest.

 

Nothing a Thai law firm can do, it's all in the hands of the prosecutor now.