Memorial Service For Canadian Killed In Thailand

[ggrolls]

Memorial service for Calgarian killed in Thailand

Updated: Thu Jan. 07 2010 17:37:44

ctvcalgary.ca

A memorial service is planned to take place Thursday night for a Calgarian killed in Thailand two years ago.

On January 6th, 2008 Leo Del Pinto was shot dead while on a trip to Thailand.

The person who allegedly pulled the trigger is a Thai police officer stationed in the town of Pai.

He has been arrested and charged with first degree murder, but is out on bail and still working as a police officer while awaiting trial.

Del Pinto's father is frustrated at the pace of the Thai court proceedings.

Ernie Del Pinto is hoping a large turnout at the memorial will keep pressure from the Canadian government on the Thai authorities.

The candlelight vigil begins outside the Our Lady of Peace Italian Church immediately after the 7 p.m. monthly memorial mass.

It will proceed to the Crossroads Community Hall.

[ggrolls]

Slain Calgarian's case crawling through Thai courts

Last Updated: Thursday, January 7, 2010

CBC News

Two years after his son's shooting death in Thailand, Ernie Del Pinto is still waiting for the murder trial of an off-duty policeman to begin.

Leo Del Pinto, 24, died of two gunshot wounds to his face and torso in the northern Thai town of Pai in January 2008.

"It seems like yesterday. It seems that he just left a few days prior to that. You know sometimes in my head, I still think he's in Thailand," Ernie Del Pinto said Thursday, just before a candlelight vigil at a northeast Calgary church to mark the second anniversary of his son's death.

Leo Del Pinto was leaving a restaurant with his friend Carly Reisig when they were both shot.

An off-duty officer said his gun discharged three times as he was trying to intervene in a fight between Del Pinto and Reisig. But Reisig said Del Pinto was just trying to defend her.

Sgt. Uthai Dechawiwat has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder.

The case is moving slowly through Thailand's courts. A pre-trial hearing is being held in the province where Del Pinto was killed, but the court there sits only every second month, devoting a day or two at a time to the case, explained Adriano Iovinelli, the Del Pinto family's Calgary lawyer.

The hearing began in August and is set to wrap up around April, said Ernie Del Pinto.

The proceedings will then move to Bangkok for the main trial, said Iovinelli.

Canadian government officials have been monitoring the case to ensure it's progressing, said Calgary MP Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

"Both myself and the minister of foreign affairs have, on numerous occasions during our meeting with Thai officials, made it very clear to them that we would like to see that justice take its place," Obhrai said.

"We want to ensure it is a fair, transparent trial and there's justice here."

In July, Ernie Del Pinto spearheaded a billboard campaign called "Justice for Leo" to publicize a letter-writing campaign to members of Canadian Parliament, demanding action in the case.

"Somebody has to be accountable for what they've done here," he said.

[ggrolls]

Calgary father continues fight for justice two years after son slain in Thailand

7/01/2010

Winnipeg Free Press

CALGARY - Whenever Ernie Del Pinto feels overwhelmed by two long, frustrating years seeking justice for his dead son in a foreign land, he visits his grave.

"It's draining my energy. You would never believe," the Calgary man said Thursday. "But you know what, I take a trip to the cemetery and I'm like the Energizer bunny. I get energized and I go for another day, full power, and keep on going."

Leo Del Pinto, 25, died after being shot in the face and chest in a northern Thailand town in January 2008. His friend, Carly Reisig of British Columbia, was also hit once in the chest but survived.

Thai police officer Sgt. Uthai Dechawiwat, who was off duty at the time, has been charged with murder with intent and attempted murder with intent.

The case is crawling through the country's courts. A pre-trial hearing is set to wrap up around April, said Del Pinto.

He chose not to go to Thailand for the hearing, because once a trial actually begins he may spend long stretches of time in the country. His Calgary lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, keeps in touch with Thai prosecutors, and the Canadian government has also kept an eye on the proceedings.

Calgary MP Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said the government has followed the case closely since the beginning. He's personally talked with Thai officials to ensure that the court case is moving along.

"The Canadian government is heavily engaged on this file. Both myself and the minister of foreign affairs have, on numerous occasions during our meeting with Thai officials, made it very clear to them that we would like to see that justice take its place," he said.

"We want to ensure it is a fair, transparent trial and there's justice here."

Iovinelli said the pre-trial hearing has taken so long because it's being held in the province where Del Pinto was killed, away from the capital, Bangkok. It started in August and was estimated run eight or nine days. But the court only sits every second month and has only devoted a day or two at a time.

Once the hearing is complete, the proceedings will move to the main city for a trial date, he said.

"The family will feel much more confident once it's back in Bangkok for trial."

Del Pinto said he probably won't know the full story of what happened to his son until he hears all the evidence at the trial. But from everything he's heard, it seems to him his son was attacked with little provocation while trying to protect his friend.

Iovinelli said Uthai originally claimed he fired his gun in self-defence, but at the most recent hearing said instead that he fired his gun accidentally.

"Our concern throughout is how do you accidentally shoot two different people that are far apart from one another?" he said.

"The trajectory of the bullets in relation to Leo Del Pinto showed that one came from above and one came from below."

Uthai was originally released on bail, but was taken back into custody in October 2008. He was released on a technicality and proceedings are underway to put him back behind bars until trial, said Iovinelli.

Del Pinto knows it could still be a long time before the man goes to trial, but plans to keep up a full-court press.

"Somebody has to be accountable for what happened. I am not going to go away. I'm here for life. I'm here till this is done."

Del Pinto's twin daughters organized a candlelight vigil for their brother to mark the day they heard he had been slain. It was to be held Thursday night after a special mass.

Del Pinto said he's working on the ability to forgive. He visited his son's grave daily for all of 2008, but started going every other day in the last year. As the anniversary of Leo's death approached, however, he found himself once again stopping by each and every day.

"He was a good boy. He was a great kid. He was honest ... What's there to say more than that?

"He was a Canadian citizen who went out on a holiday and came back in a body bag."

[Nio]

Sad to say the only way the Thai Govt reacts is to pressure from Foreign Country Embassy or Govt

The kids father should have presses the Canadian Govt to pressure the Thais to resolve this case

That is the only way.

News Media and International stories that threaten to slow tourism are the only things that work

[PhilHarries]

Thai justice: The definitive oxymoron surely?

It's taken them nearly 20 years to even get close in the case of the murdered Saudi diplomats so what hope does a common man stand?

[kuma]

Is there any more news on what the whole story was here?

I think it is a tragedy of course but at least two of these people must have known each other prior to the incident and something must have been behind this - it was not just a first time chance meeting and disaster was it?