Thai Police Arrest Two Britons For Murder And Child Sexual Abuse

[webfact]

Thai police arrest two Britons for murder and child sexual abuse

BANGKOK: -- Thai police arrested a suspected murderer and a suspected paedophile in two separate cases after investigation a request by the British Embassy in Bangkok.

The first case is involved with a British national, Stuart Scott Crawford, most wanted as the subject of an arrest warrant for murdering Michael Ryan in Surrey.

The duo met in Thailand's resort of Pattaya in 2008 and when they were back to England, Crawford moved to stay in Mr Ryan's flat in Surrey. Three weeks later, in a quarrel which became violent, Mr Crawford hit Mr Ryan with a hard object, leading to his death.

The accused also used a debit card of the victim to transfer money worth 6,500 pounds (about Bt325,000) into his bank account and fled to Thailand.

Thai police investigators in cooperation with the Immigration Bureau found that the accused arrived in Thailand on September 6, 2008 and stayed in Pattaya for about two years concealing his name and address while his Thai wife conducted transactions such as renting a house and a car for him.

He used the Internet to contact his relatives in England and investigators traced and arrested him at an apartment in Chon Buri.

In another case, Fletcher David John, 66, was charged with rape and sexual abuse of a girl aged below 16 years old and possession of a banned weapon (electric shock device). He has a website, receiving donations for Cambodian underprivileged children through the 'Rubbish Dump Project'.

A court in Norwich sentenced him 18 months in jail.

Thai Immigration Bureau's investigation found that Mr John fled to Thailand and stayed at a guesthouse in Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 22.

He was arrested and will be extradited on charge of committing sexual crimes in Phnom Penh in the past two years. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-06

[sangfroid]

Two more pieces of trash put out.

[Asianrider]

I have seen some positive signs recently that Thailand is not letting itself become a dumping ground for every Farang on the run from the law in other countries. This can only be a good thing, trying to raise standards....

[damian5000]

It would be good if justice in Thailand could be halfway trusted. Guilty or not, I wouldn't trust the Thai courts with a traffic ticket, let alone cases such as these.

[TheBarbarian]

The Brits are pretty busy. Pattaya, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Spain. They seem to take care of a backlog of cases.

[Padrino]

I don't know why the British Police don't just spend the summer in Pattaya, they will pick half up of Britain's most wanted and bag a bucket load of paedophiles while their there.

[bwalker1973]

Just like any tourist destination in low season, you always see alot of arrests, has the police are less busy in the low season, so they actually get on with some backlogs and international police arrests. Not just brits, germans, americans etc. All over the world in popular tourist destinations.

[webfact]

Thai police nab three foreign fugitives

BANGKOK: (AFP) -- Two Britons and a Japanese man wanted on charges including murder, fraud and sex offences have been arrested in Thailand, immigration police said on Friday.

The fugitives include Stuart Scott Crawford, 44, thought to be on Britain's most wanted list as the prime suspect in the September 2008 murder of his friend Michael Ryan in his home country.

Thai police also detained John David Fletcher, 66, sought by Cambodia on child sex charges, and Ichiro Ogushi, 35, wanted by Japan for allegedly faking his own death in a 500 million yen (almost six million dollar) insurance scam.

The arrests continue a crackdown on foreign criminal suspects in Thailand as the prime holiday destination seeks to shed its image as something of a haven for those seeking to evade the law.

British police suspect Crawford of beating Ryan to death and using his credit card to withdraw 6,500 pounds (10,300 dollars) before fleeing to Thailand.

Crawford, who has lived in Thailand for two years with his Thai wife, was arrested in the seaside resort of Pattaya on Tuesday after the British embassy requested cooperation in the matter.

Thai police said Fletcher was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting children in Cambodia. He has previously served an 18-month prison sentence in Britain for raping a 16-year-old girl.

Police said he set up a charity called the Rubbish Dump Project, which claimed to provide a way for tourists to donate money for needy children in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.

Ogushi is thought to have travelled to Thailand to file a forged death registration in order to make an insurance claim after his export business in Japan failed.

He was found out when the Japanese embassy in Bangkok realised the certificate was fake, while forensic tests on the substance purporting to be his ashes, could not confirm his identity although they were human remains.

Both Britons are set to be extradited and Thai police said they were in discussions with the Japanese embassy over the Ogushi case.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-08-06

Related topic:

Japanese man arrested for falsifying death certificate on US$5.6 million insurance claim

[somchai69]

In another case, Fletcher David John, 66, was charged with rape and sexual abuse of a girl aged below 16 years old

I suspect his name is David John Fletcher........

A court in Norwich sentenced him 18 months in jail.

For what??

Certianly not rape..................

Typical slap dash reporting.

If the recent charges relate to Cambodia, where is he being deported to??

[phuketrichard]

Fletcher was arrested over a month ago. This is OLD news yet they are reporting it like new.

no wonder people dont read or trust the papers anymore.

Quote

A court in Norwich sentenced him 18 months in jail.

For what??

Certianly not rape..................

Yes for rape although he claimed she was older.

Yes deported to Cambodia where they want him for questioning regarding sex with underage girls and one he was attmepting to buy before,( also underage and living at the Steung Menchaey dump where his "charity" disributed food), they caught him and he fled to Thailand. He is truly bad news and i hate to say this but i knew him

Edited August 6, 2010 by phuketrichard

[march]

Are they running some sort of special promotional campaign for the UK?

In addition to Briton Stuart Scott Crawford for murder and Briton Fletcher David John for child rape, there's also Briton Paul John Stone being extradited for:

Briton Paul John Stone gestures as he waits in a prison cell at the criminal court in Bangkok August 6, 2010. The court ruled to extradite him to the United Kingdom where he is wanted on charges of fraud and money laundering.

Reuters

[stevehaigh]

I don't know why the British Police don't just spend the summer in Pattaya, they will pick half up of Britain's most wanted and bag a bucket load of paedophiles while their there.

good point, you should send a letter to scotland yard

[yumidesign]

It would be good if justice in Thailand could be halfway trusted. Guilty or not, I wouldn't trust the Thai courts with a traffic ticket, let alone cases such as these.

you are so right there is no justice system of any worth, sadly

[Changian]

Looks like MCOT has their facts muddled bit about David Fletcher. Hardly breaking news as his arrest in Bangkok was over a month ago. See Andrew Drummonds article for The Daily Mirror

[Roachiebkk]

Thai police nab three foreign fugitives

BANGKOK: (AFP) -- Two Britons and a Japanese man wanted on charges including murder, fraud and sex offences have been arrested in Thailand, immigration police said on Friday.

The fugitives include Stuart Scott Crawford, 44, thought to be on Britain's most wanted list as the prime suspect in the September 2008 murder of his friend Michael Ryan in his home country.

Thai police also detained John David Fletcher, 66, sought by Cambodia on child sex charges, and Ichiro Ogushi, 35, wanted by Japan for allegedly faking his own death in a 500 million yen (almost six million dollar) insurance scam.

The arrests continue a crackdown on foreign criminal suspects in Thailand as the prime holiday destination seeks to shed its image as something of a haven for those seeking to evade the law.

British police suspect Crawford of beating Ryan to death and using his credit card to withdraw 6,500 pounds (10,300 dollars) before fleeing to Thailand.

Crawford, who has lived in Thailand for two years with his Thai wife, was arrested in the seaside resort of Pattaya on Tuesday after the British embassy requested cooperation in the matter.

Thai police said Fletcher was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting children in Cambodia. He has previously served an 18-month prison sentence in Britain for raping a 16-year-old girl.

Police said he set up a charity called the Rubbish Dump Project, which claimed to provide a way for tourists to donate money for needy children in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.

Ogushi is thought to have travelled to Thailand to file a forged death registration in order to make an insurance claim after his export business in Japan failed.

He was found out when the Japanese embassy in Bangkok realised the certificate was fake, while forensic tests on the substance purporting to be his ashes, could not confirm his identity although they were human remains.

Both Britons are set to be extradited and Thai police said they were in discussions with the Japanese embassy over the Ogushi case.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-08-06

Related topic:

Japanese man arrested for falsifying death certificate on US$5.6 million insurance claim

http://www.thaivisa....nsurance-claim/

"British police suspect Crawford of beating Ryan to death and using his credit card"

Must have been one of those Gold Cards if it killed him!

[march]

Additional information on Briton David Fletcher is available on the last page of the thread:

Edited August 6, 2010 by Rimmer
picture deleted

[Rimmer]

One generalizing inflammatory post deleted.

[BKKBrit]

Super. Glad that the authorities here are clamping down on these single-cell cretins. There're a lot more of them out there though. I hope they know their time is soon coming up. Perhaps an exodus might start sooner rather than later and an end to the visa runs is called for. Be here legitimately, or not at all I say.

[Tokay]

While I am 100% in favor of ridding Thailand of trash, they should start by cleaning their on yard first. There are plenty more local criminals and crooked police than there are falang.

Oh, silly me, the locals don't have the money to bribe their way out and the police would lose face if they were themselves arrested.

This place is and always will be a joke when it comes to legal issues.

[jackdawson]

how can just a small island in the north sea produce so many beauties ?

[moetownblues]

This seems to be a weekly thing farang pedophiles arrested, and the farangs for such things. Close Down ptaya and stop these people coming to Thailad.

[sirchai]

I don't know why the British Police don't just spend the summer in Pattaya, they will pick half up of Britain's most wanted and bag a bucket load of paedophiles while their there.

good point, you should send a letter to scotland yard

:jap:

Again some guys who give all of us a bad name. It's not new that there's lots of foul apples around.

Brits who're running their own red shirt rally,so many guys who get killed in road accidents and now just too many criminals.

Should be in all peoples interest to get the dirt out of here.It's not necessary that some Brits give all of them a bad name. Cheers.

[Suradit]

Both Britons are set to be extradited and Thai police said they were in discussions with the Japanese embassy over the Ogushi case.

It would be good if justice in Thailand could be halfway trusted. Guilty or not, I wouldn't trust the Thai courts with a traffic ticket, let alone cases such as these.

The Thai police are arresting Brits at the request of the British Embassy and they are to be extradited to UK. What is the point of the Thai bashing comment about Thai courts?

Maybe if farang police and farang immigrations back in farangland were doing their jobs these miscreants wouldn't be free and allowed to leave their countries to travel to Thailand where the Thai police end up cleaning up for the inept farang authorities.

[moetownblues]

Why is Pattaya so saturated with these kind of people?

[kratiam]

Super. Glad that the authorities here are clamping down on these single-cell cretins. There're a lot more of them out there though. I hope they know their time is soon coming up. Perhaps an exodus might start sooner rather than later and an end to the visa runs is called for. Be here legitimately, or not at all I say.

Spot on!

[Jingthing]

Why is Pattaya so saturated with these kind of people?

Here we go again. There is help available for PDS, Pattaya Derangement Syndrome^TM ...

Edited August 6, 2010 by Jingthing

[kratiam]

Both Britons are set to be extradited and Thai police said they were in discussions with the Japanese embassy over the Ogushi case.

It would be good if justice in Thailand could be halfway trusted. Guilty or not, I wouldn't trust the Thai courts with a traffic ticket, let alone cases such as these.

The Thai police are arresting Brits at the request of the British Embassy and they are to be extradited to UK. What is the point of the Thai bashing comment about Thai courts?

Maybe if farang police and farang immigrations back in farangland were doing their jobs these miscreants wouldn't be free and allowed to leave their countries to travel to Thailand where the Thai police end up cleaning up for the inept farang authorities.

Spot on...again!

[nimrod74741]

Two more pieces of trash put out.

A peedo murderer only gets 18 months?

<deleted> kind of joke is that?

[EODghost]

This seems to be a weekly thing farang pedophiles arrested, and the farangs for such things. Close Down ptaya and stop these people coming to Thailad.

Genius Comment, what would the Thai Police do for money then, eh?

[hardy1943]

I don't know why the British Police don't just spend the summer in Pattaya, they will pick half up of Britain's most wanted and bag a bucket load of paedophiles while their there.

I have been there one time. Low life is putting it mildly, not just British just about everyone. Who in the hel_l would want to live there?