Briton gets 18 years, nine months for ATM fraud

PHUKET CITY: -- Despite confessing to charges against him, a British man has been sentenced to 18 years and 9 months in prison for ATM fraud.

Mark Hubert Veerasawmy, 45, received the sentence at Phuket Provincial Court several weeks ago, British Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter said.

Mr Veerasawmy was arrested in February last year together with his son Sonny, 20.

Phuket City Police arrested the pair after receiving a report that two men were acting suspiciously in front of the Kasikorn Bank branch on Chanacharoen Rd, near the Robinson department store.

When the police came to investigate, they found them in possession of 15 withdrawal slips, 10,000 baht in cash and 35 fake ATM cards, Capt Supachai Petchkul of Phuket City Police said.

When police searched the men’s hotel rooms they found more than 100,000 baht in bundles separated by rubber bands, Capt Supachai added.

The son, still in Phuket Provincial Prison awaiting trial, denies the charges against him.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-03-21

that sentence should sort them out.a tough sentence,a good deterrent.

Jesus, that's a long time. I can only assume its to make a statement with all the current ATM skimming publicity, especially with foreign gangs committing most of the crimes according to a lot of Thai news reports. A clear warning I would say.

That's great that these shmucks are getting shafted for this as these ATM bandits are bastards. Now all they need to do is start offering up likewise stingers for those who intenionally mow people down and chop the arms off innocents

wow, harsh sentance but a good deterrant to all

will he serve his sentance in Phuket or BKK hilton?

A good sharp pounding sentence for sure!

18 years often means 18 years in Thailand. Especially if its defrauding the thai monetry system. They won't wriggle out of that one.

A good, decent warning to the other would-be fraudsters out there.

Well done to the BIB for their work on this

Cannot do the time,don't do the crime.

Som-Num-Nah,

More scumbags bite the dust. That's 1 and a near other one that will not be getting us Brit Farang's bad names now.

wow, harsh sentance but a good deterrant to all

will he serve his sentance in Phuket or BKK hilton?

The offence happened in the Phuket Province,so he will do his time in The Phuket Hilton

Cannot do the time,don't do the crime.

Som-Num-Nah,

More scumbags bite the dust. That's 1 and a near other one that will not be getting us Brit Farang's bad names now.

Veerasawmy - yeah. That's a typical Brit name.

Oh, so if his name isn't British, then he's really not a Brit, is that correct?

18 years for petty fraud when politicians and businessmen do the same type of thing on a massive scale yet escape punishment or are given a slap on the wrist.

In no way am I condoning this man's actions but the punishment should fit the crime and in no way does this punishment fit this crime.

Who was the judge? Attila the Hun?

"Police said they initially charged Mr. Kok of counterfeiting electronic cards and that consequently he faces maximum imprisonment of five years and a fine of Bt100,000."

I thought stiffer sentences were supposed to go up the pyramid?

TIT. 'And they found 112million Baht in his account.

Regards.

Edited March 21, 200917 yr by teletiger

Think in the west - be charged for each crime committed so if it was 100 people skimmed - thats 100 counts of grand theft. Could quite easily get the same sentence if it was non concurrent running sentences. Bit harsh considering where he will be going to prision, but then again the lad fked over a lot of people - so prob deserves it.

100k stolen, 18 years in jail.

And the crowd loves it.

Go figure. Its quite hard to understand the postors here. I often feel like many exhibit fascist personalities.

18 years for petty fraud when politicians and businessmen do the same type of thing on a massive scale yet escape punishment or are given a slap on the wrist.

In no way am I condoning this man's actions but the punishment should fit the crime and in no way does this punishment fit this crime.

Who was the judge? Attila the Hun?

Petty fraud????? What planet areyou from???

When it's your account that is emptied, you will feel different.

This may not have been their first time for this crime, they may have been at it for years.

Hang em I say, Brits or not, they deserve 18 years in the BKK Hilton. Let them rot.

Best news i heard all day

If it was the bleeding hearts on this thread that had their money stolen they would be calling for a lynching

If it was the bleeding hearts on this thread that had their money stolen they would be calling for a lynching

I'd like to think I was above such failings and I would continue to call for a fair and measured punishment to be meted out.

18 years 9 months is nothing short of barbarism.

Petty fraud????? What planet areyou from???

When it's your account that is emptied, you will feel different.

This may not have been their first time for this crime, they may have been at it for years.

Hang em I say, Brits or not, they deserve 18 years in the BKK Hilton. Let them rot.

A sentence of listening to an Al Gore speach would be barbarism

A Thai women recently got sentenced to 10 years for MURDERING a Brit.

Would you say this crime is twice as bad as MURDER?

A Thai women recently got sentenced to 10 years for MURDERING a Brit.

Would you say this crime is twice as bad as MURDER?

Agreed, just like the 40 year sentence that the man got for stealing 80 k from the Tollway authority. Money is more important than human life it would seem.

100k stolen, 18 years in jail.

And the crowd loves it.

Go figure. Its quite hard to understand the postors here. I often feel like many exhibit fascist personalities.

You are right of course. But people with those traits are by definition not open to reasonable thought or to reconsidering their prejudices. In this case I would wager that they were particularly fired up by the man un-british surname, ie racism kicking in. It's futile, if admirable, to protest and frankly I usually refrain.

18 years for petty fraud when politicians and businessmen do the same type of thing on a massive scale yet escape punishment or are given a slap on the wrist.

In no way am I condoning this man's actions but the punishment should fit the crime and in no way does this punishment fit this crime.

Who was the judge? Attila the Hun?

Petty fraud????? What planet areyou from???

When it's your account that is emptied, you will feel different.

This may not have been their first time for this crime, they may have been at it for years.

Hang em I say, Brits or not, they deserve 18 years in the BKK Hilton. Let them rot.

When he emty's your account you will be compensated by your bank,so he actually doesn't steal from you.

Who is stealing from are the THIEVES who have stolen from us all our live and are still continuing this practice even after we paid them some trillion dollars already.So actually he is only getting back his own money.

He should be decorated for that instead of punished.

Think in the west - be charged for each crime committed so if it was 100 people skimmed - thats 100 counts of grand theft. Could quite easily get the same sentence if it was non concurrent running sentences. Bit harsh considering where he will be going to prision, but then again the lad fked over a lot of people - so prob deserves it.

No,in the west this would be considered as just one act of crime because he only get caught after commiting the same crime 100 times.

So probably 2 years with probation for the full term.

18 years 9 months, best news I've heard today. Hooray for the Thai justice system. I only wish they were as harsh back home in the UK.

18 years for petty fraud when politicians and businessmen do the same type of thing on a massive scale yet escape punishment or are given a slap on the wrist.

In no way am I condoning this man's actions but the punishment should fit the crime and in no way does this punishment fit this crime.

Who was the judge? Attila the Hun?

I totally agree.

Just give him a slap on the wrist.

And the pe3does should get two slaps on the wrist.

There is the law, break it and you do the time.

To tired of people defending actions with "but the other guy only get this sentence"

O.J Simpson got away with murder, does that mean I can commit any crime in the US?

Edited March 21, 200917 yr by PoorSucker

100k stolen, 18 years in jail.

And the crowd loves it.

Go figure. Its quite hard to understand the postors here. I often feel like many exhibit fascist personalities.

That is 100k at this location and or found in his rooms.

This says NOTHING about what he did yesterday in another town....department.... etc

This is, no doubt, the tip of the iceberg,

but they are prosecuting for what they have at hand.

18 years 9 months, best news I've heard today. Hooray for the Thai justice system. I only wish they were as harsh back home in the UK.

The Thai justice system doesn't always get it right, but on this occasion they have excelled themselves. Hopefully, there wont be a pardon in the near future, nor a transfer to a UK holiday camp.

Nice long sentence, compared to the zero sentences for murder and abduction of the muslim lawyer, and all the other hundreds of murders that have occurred without anyone going near a jail.

When the police came to investigate, they found them in possession of 15 withdrawal slips, 10,000 baht in cash and 35 fake ATM cards, Capt Supachai Petchkul of Phuket City Police said

15 withdrawal slips and yet only 10,000 Baht?..Doesn't seem to add up to me.

Father and son...going to jail...without passing Go.