Phuket Murder Suspect Lee Aldhouse Still In UK Jail: British Embassy

[webfact]

Phuket murder suspect still in UK jail: British Embassy

From left: Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter and British Ambassador Quinton Quayle

at the Andara Resort in Kamala this morning.

PHUKET: -- British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle this morning confirmed that fugitive murder suspect Lee Aldhouse is still in custody somewhere in the UK.

British officials will work closely with their Thai counterparts in their efforts to have the kickboxer extradited to Phuket to face charges for the stabbing murder of American Dashawn Longfellow in Rawai last month, he said.

Last week the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand confirmed to the Gazette that Mr Aldhouse was due to be released from Wormwood Scrubs Prison near London on Friday.

Commenting on Mr Aldhouse’s case at the Andara Resort in Kamala this morning, Ambassador Quayle confirmed that the fugitive kickboxer is still in detention, but said he could give no further details about the terms or location of his detainment.

As for Thai efforts to have him extradited, he said, “It depends on the charge, the evidence presented and the documents being filed… There is an extradition treaty in force, but they [the Thai authorities] have to provide the evidence.”

Like most European nations, the UK generally does not extradite in cases where a suspect could possibly face the death penalty if convicted.

“I can say that there is good cooperation between the British and Thai authorities,” he said.

An officer with the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency posted at the British Embassy would assist Thai authorities if needed, he said.

As the case is already in the judicial process, Ambassador Quayle said he “could not speculate any further” about the extradition request, however.

Ambassador Quayle was speaking at a press conference called to announce that a formal gathering will be held at the The Blue Elephant restaurant in Phuket Town tonight to mark the official Queen’s Birthday in the UK.

The event, usually held in June to officially celebrate the birthdays of all former UK monarchs, was this year postponed because of the red-shirt protests in downtown Bangkok in May.

The move was approved by Buckingham Palace, said Ambassador Quayle.

The ambassador also urged British expats in Phuket to register their contact details with the British embassy or with the local consulate. He estimated the number of UK expats living in Phuket at about 5,000.

“We receive appeals for information all the time from people concerned about friends or family traveling or staying in Thailand,” he said.

Registering contact details could spare people from unnecessary worry, he said.

Those wishing to register on line can do so using “LOCATE”, a service on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: (www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/Locate/).

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-09-27

[Jimi007]

As for Thai efforts to have him extradited, he said, “It depends on the charge, the evidence presented and the documents being filed… There is an extradition treaty in force, but they [the Thai authorities] have to provide the evidence.”

Pfft! What does Ambassador Quayle think the charge is? Possibly premeditated murder? Great answer Mr. Quayle...

[Arjay]

Guys like this are going to make life harder here or us law abiding falangs

[JetsetBkk]

It would have been nice if the Gazette had said something like this to Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter and British Ambassador Quinton Quayle:

"We need a photo to go with our story about a fugitive alleged murderer now hopefully banged up in the UK. Can you possibly be serious for a few seconds?"

Click.

[tropo]

As for Thai efforts to have him extradited, he said, "It depends on the charge, the evidence presented and the documents being filed… There is an extradition treaty in force, but they [the Thai authorities] have to provide the evidence."

Pfft! What does Ambassador Quayle think the charge is? Possibly premeditated murder? Great answer Mr. Quayle...

Yeah, answers like that really inspire confidence.

[thaiwanderer]

As for Thai efforts to have him extradited, he said, "It depends on the charge, the evidence presented and the documents being filed… There is an extradition treaty in force, but they [the Thai authorities] have to provide the evidence."

Pfft! What does Ambassador Quayle think the charge is? Possibly premeditated murder? Great answer Mr. Quayle...

Yeah, answers like that really inspire confidence.

What do people expect from a diplomat (rather than for example someone making unsubstantiated axe grinding posts on an internet forum)?

His answer is entirely apt and correct in the circumstances and it's not at all his place to 'inspire confiidence' other than in due process being followed.

Presumably the extradition will not fail due to RTP dropping the ball.......

[LivinLOS]

And if he says murder, and the Thais press for manslaughter.. And then his lawyer argues that public perception has influenced the case because even gov representatives are calling it murder ?? God how he would be crucified if he ballsed it up in some way.

Of course he hedged his bets and took care with his words, hes a diplomat, its called diplomacy.

Some posters !!

[tropo]

What do people expect from a diplomat (rather than for example someone making unsubstantiated axe grinding posts on an internet forum)?

His answer is entirely apt and correct in the circumstances and it's not at all his place to 'inspire confiidence' other than in due process being followed.

Presumably the extradition will not fail due to RTP dropping the ball.......

I disagree. Diplomats can be inspirational, useless or anywhere in between. I suppose he's being very "British".

[tropo]

And if he says murder, and the Thais press for manslaughter.. And then his lawyer argues that public perception has influenced the case because even gov representatives are calling it murder ?? God how he would be crucified if he ballsed it up in some way.

Of course he hedged his bets and took care with his words, hes a diplomat, its called diplomacy.

Some posters !!

Sometimes things are cut and dry. A guy steals a knife from a 7Eleven then heads off to his victims house, then stabs him to death with the same knife. It would be absolutely ridiculous for the Thais to go for manslaughter. It would be a total waste of time.

[LivinLOS]

But maybe they need to hedge with something they can prove.. Maybe all manner of things we dont know.. Maybe they know the cops lost the knife.. Or fuc_ked up all manner of other evidence and thats not public.

As a diplomat the course of action is to hedge and not be contentious.. Thats the job.

[bangkokrick]

At least he is still in custody in the UK, so there must be some moves afoot or he would be a free man by now. lets hope that the extradition is successful and that he stands trial here in Thailand.

Cheers, Rick

[likewise]

At least he's in jail somewhere for now, I still have my doubts that he will actually be extradited. I would hope so but seriously doubt it.

[bangkokrick]

At least he's in jail somewhere for now, I still have my doubts that he will actually be extradited. I would hope so but seriously doubt it.

Yes me too, but we can live in hope.

Cheers, Rick

[bangkokrick]

well it seems that the Thai and UK governments are not the only ones that have lost interest in this case.

Rick

[tropo]

well it seems that the Thai and UK governments are not the only ones that have lost interest in this case.

Rick

How much incentive does anyone except the family of the victim have to resolve this?

[bangkokrick]

well it seems that the Thai and UK governments are not the only ones that have lost interest in this case.

Rick

How much incentive does anyone except the family of the victim have to resolve this?

No incentive at all. I think the Thai's will be glad to see the back of this one and if they don't act the UK can't do anything. Bad news for the family, whom I feel for and also justice as a whole.

Cheers, rick

[britmaveric]

I think him being in the UK simply means he won't be returning to the thailand. He can claim substandard prison conditions and also death penalty. Trust me as much as I'd like the lad rot in a thai prison, I don't think it will happen.

[bangkokrick]

I think him being in the UK simply means he won't be returning to the thailand. He can claim substandard prison conditions and also death penalty. Trust me as much as I'd like the lad rot in a thai prison, I don't think it will happen.

I agree Brit, if there is no hard push for extradition I can see this guy walking free to re offend. How sad is that?

Cheers, Rick

[britmaveric]

^prob would be a different case if it was a murder of a thai national.

[bangkokrick]

^prob would be a different case if it was a murder of a thai national.

It would have been very different if it involve Thai national. This guy is not stupid and he knew that if he could get back to the UK that he had a fair chance of getting off with it. Pre meditated escape as well as it seems the murder. allegedly.

cheers rick

[thaiwanderer]

^prob would be a different case if it was a murder of a thai national.

It would have been very different if it involve Thai national. This guy is not stupid and he knew that if he could get back to the UK that he had a fair chance of getting off with it. Pre meditated escape as well as it seems the murder. allegedly.

cheers rick

Not sure I get your meaning, do you mean as opposed to an unintentional or accidental escape?

[tropo]

^prob would be a different case if it was a murder of a thai national.

It would have been very different if it involve Thai national. This guy is not stupid and he knew that if he could get back to the UK that he had a fair chance of getting off with it. Pre meditated escape as well as it seems the murder. allegedly.

cheers rick

Not sure I get your meaning, do you mean as opposed to an unintentional or accidental escape?

He probably meant - as opposed to an escape he planned AFTER the murder.

[bangkokrick]

^prob would be a different case if it was a murder of a thai national.

It would have been very different if it involve Thai national. This guy is not stupid and he knew that if he could get back to the UK that he had a fair chance of getting off with it. Pre meditated escape as well as it seems the murder. allegedly.

cheers rick

Not sure I get your meaning, do you mean as opposed to an unintentional or accidental escape?

He probably meant - as opposed to an escape he planned AFTER the murder.

That's just what I meant, it all seems to have gone very well for him. Maybe he had a plan B arranged if anything went wrong in Phuket, which indeed it did.

It can't be easy to get out of any country under these circumstances, even on a second passport. You would have thought that the passports would have been linked through the immigration system.

Cheers, Rick

[thaiwanderer]

That's just what I meant, it all seems to have gone very well for him. Maybe he had a plan B arranged if anything went wrong in Phuket, which indeed it did.

It can't be easy to get out of any country under these circumstances, even on a second passport. You would have thought that the passports would have been linked through the immigration system.

Cheers, Rick

My understanding is he left through a non-computerised border.

I think you are giving him too much credit for having an escape plan before the alleged incident.

[bangkokrick]

That's just what I meant, it all seems to have gone very well for him. Maybe he had a plan B arranged if anything went wrong in Phuket, which indeed it did.

It can't be easy to get out of any country under these circumstances, even on a second passport. You would have thought that the passports would have been linked through the immigration system.

Cheers, Rick

My understanding is he left through a non-computerised border.

I think you are giving him too much credit for having an escape plan before the alleged incident.

Maybe I am, just a thought. I certainly would not like to be in his position trying to get out of Thailand after allegedly committing a serious offence, even though I do have 2 passports. It's easy to talk about, but to actually do it is another thing. Anyway it will be interesting to see what happens going forward. I would also be interested to know what charges the UK authorities are holding him on, if not for extradition?

Cheers, Rick

[stuandchris]

Its all been said before, he is being held because he violated his bail conditions whilst in the UK by coming to Thailand.

And you don't really need a premeditated plan to do a runner, there are many ways to leave if you really need to.

And if Thailand presents a formal request with compelling evidence and an assurance of no death penalty then extradition is possible.

He can appeal to the European courts after that about the conditions here etc.

Thats it, not rocket science.

[bangkokrick]

Its all been said before, he is being held because he violated his bail conditions whilst in the UK by coming to Thailand.

And you don't really need a premeditated plan to do a runner, there are many ways to leave if you really need to.

And if Thailand presents a formal request with compelling evidence and an assurance of no death penalty then extradition is possible.

He can appeal to the European courts after that about the conditions here etc.

Thats it, not rocket science.

It's also not rocket science to know that he should have been released on the 24th of this month for the charges against him in the UK, so I think that it is a fair question to ask, on what charges are the UK authorities holding him?

Cheers, Rick

[tropo]

That's just what I meant, it all seems to have gone very well for him. Maybe he had a plan B arranged if anything went wrong in Phuket, which indeed it did.

It can't be easy to get out of any country under these circumstances, even on a second passport. You would have thought that the passports would have been linked through the immigration system.

Cheers, Rick

My understanding is he left through a non-computerised border.

I think you are giving him too much credit for having an escape plan before the alleged incident.

Why is he being given too much credit? He's probably the type who hangs out with criminal elements who discuss and plan escape methods in the event of any serious problems with Thai authorities. No one wants to rot in a Thai prison or be executed.

[bangkokrick]

Why is he being given too much credit? He's probably the type who hangs out with criminal elements who discuss and plan escape methods in the event of any serious problems with Thai authorities. No one wants to rot in a Thai prison or be executed.

That was my line of thought too Tropo.

Cheers, Rick

[likewise]

Indeed, guys like him definitely have a plan B in case things go wrong.

As for stuandchris, it's the other way around mate, European countries will not extradite in case of prisons where human rights are violated or countries with death penalties.