Australian Murder Suspect Arrested In Thailand And Extradited

[tropo]

<deleted>, he's not an Aussie, he's a Brit.

There's no need to curse. Unless we know what passport he was using we can't say. If he has an Australian passport he's Australian, no matter where he was born.

[tropo]

As this guy found out and so are others. You can only duck and dive for so long.

jb1

There's no reason why a person can't duck and dive for a lifetime. You don't find out about the ones who are never caught. Even if caught, you have to weigh up 9 years of free life to a lifetime behind bars.

[Semper]

An earlier notice...

amazing!!!..

9 yrs to catch him.... very efficient , the process

a couple of things I didn't get from these articles.

Where about in Thailand he was?

why did it take that long to capture him?

how the guy with to kids was killed?..............i read the 1st article that the police, Western Australia didn't want to reveal it.

Bin Laden was hiding a long time. And half the world was trying.

[Buchholz]

Grieving family lived in hope

Continues:

http://au.news.yahoo...-lived-in-hope/

The West Australian - May 5, 2011

*Note: The continued article in the link references journalist and Thaivisa member AndrewDrummond being involved earlier in this case.

Perhaps Mr. Drummond would be so kind as to reply regarding that and today's event.

I'm still very much interested in reading any input Mr. Drummond has on this case, but I note he's been offline since before its occurrence. PM sent to request his input.

I hope this helps

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/view-story.php?sid=391

Thank you once more and now, if I may, let's try a few questions.

1. When you notified the Perth police and the Federal police five years ago regarding the whereabouts of this fugitive alleged murderer, what was their response to the information you provided them?

2. Is there any additional information regarding the armed robbery charges in Britain that he was also a fugitive from?

3. Do you know what sort of work he was doing in Thailand or whatever other means of support he had during his 9 years here?

4. When he talked to you 5 years ago and expressed a desire to return and face his charges, did it sound genuine and if so, why didn't he simply report to the Australian Embassy or to Thai police or was he asking for you to act as an intermediary?

5. When was he deported to Portugal and his entry there was refused, what happened to him when was returned to Thailand? Was he just allowed to go free again then?

6. There is a pub in Bangkok that actually uses the name, ‘Winking Frog’?

[andrewdrummond]

http://www.andrew-dr...ory.php?sid=391

Thank you once more and now, if I may, let's try a few questions.

1. When you notified the Perth police and the Federal police five years ago regarding the whereabouts of this fugitive alleged murderer, what was their response to the information you provided them?

Well of course they were very interested. But of course they could not send someone around straight away as various protocols had to be followed.

2. Is there any additional information regarding the armed robbery charges in Britain that he was also a fugitive from?

Forgotten but I think it was a jewellers shop in Hatton Garden

3. Do you know what sort of work he was doing in Thailand or whatever other means of support he had during his 9 years here?

I'm guess he was trading a bit in drugs.

4. When he talked to you 5 years ago and expressed a desire to return and face his charges, did it sound genuine and if so, why didn't he simply report to the Australian Embassy or to Thai police or was he asking for you to act as an intermediary?

Seemed genuine enough. Its not the first time I have approached. One of the Richardson gang gave himself up to me many years ago in a bar in Soi 4. In that case the British authorities reacted very quickly and even gave him accommodation at Centre Point (which he abused)

5. When was he deported to Portugal and his entry there was refused, what happened to him when was returned to Thailand? Was he just allowed to go free again then?

He was put back into the IDC and appears to have bought his release. The document he was given I have now published on my website

6. There is a pub in Bangkok that actually uses the name, 'Winking Frog'?

Indeed there was in Soi 7 until a few years ago. They had quite a successful football team"

[andrewdrummond]

In answer to Bucholz

http://www.andrew-dr...ory.php?sid=391

1. When you notified the Perth police and the Federal police five years ago regarding the whereabouts of this fugitive alleged murderer, what was their response to the information you provided them?

Well of course they were very interested. But of course they could not send someone around straight away as various protocols had to be followed.

2. Is there any additional information regarding the armed robbery charges in Britain that he was also a fugitive from?

Forgotten but I think it was a jewellers shop in Hatton Garden

3. Do you know what sort of work he was doing in Thailand or whatever other means of support he had during his 9 years here?

I'm guess he was trading a bit in drugs.

4. When he talked to you 5 years ago and expressed a desire to return and face his charges, did it sound genuine and if so, why didn't he simply report to the Australian Embassy or to Thai police or was he asking for you to act as an intermediary?

Seemed genuine enough. Its not the first time I have approached. One of the Richardson gang gave himself up to me many years ago in a bar in Soi 4. In that case the British authorities reacted very quickly and even gave him accommodation at Centre Point (which he abused)

5. When was he deported to Portugal and his entry there was refused, what happened to him when was returned to Thailand? Was he just allowed to go free again then?

He was put back into the IDC and appears to have bought his release. The document he was given I have now published on my website

6. There is a pub in Bangkok that actually uses the name, 'Winking Frog'?

Indeed there was in Soi 7 until a few years ago. They had quite a successful football team"

[jimbeam1]

As this guy found out and so are others. You can only duck and dive for so long.

jb1

There's no reason why a person can't duck and dive for a lifetime. You don't find out about the ones who are never caught. Even if caught, you have to weigh up 9 years of free life to a lifetime behind bars.

Nine years of freedom, great. Where is he tonight?

Ronnie Biggs ducked and dived for nearly a life time. Went back to prison again.

I don't know but I think you will find many fugitives end up walking into a Cop Shop?

jb1

[chickenslegs]

As this guy found out and so are others. You can only duck and dive for so long.

jb1

There's no reason why a person can't duck and dive for a lifetime. You don't find out about the ones who are never caught. Even if caught, you have to weigh up 9 years of free life to a lifetime behind bars.

Nine years of freedom, great. Where is he tonight?

Ronnie Biggs ducked and dived for nearly a life time. Went back to prison again.

I don't know but I think you will find many fugitives end up walking into a Cop Shop?

jb1

Yes, and that's 9 more years of life than the victim had.

But, if it's true that the victim was a 'wife beater', I'd find it very hard to feel any sympathy for either of them.

[fitzgib]

As this guy found out and so are others. You can only duck and dive for so long.

jb1

There's no reason why a person can't duck and dive for a lifetime. You don't find out about the ones who are never caught. Even if caught, you have to weigh up 9 years of free life to a lifetime behind bars.

Nine years of freedom, great. Where is he tonight?

Ronnie Biggs ducked and dived for nearly a life time. Went back to prison again.

I don't know but I think you will find many fugitives end up walking into a Cop Shop?

jb1

Yes, and that's 9 more years of life than the victim had.

But, if it's true that the victim was a 'wife beater', I'd find it very hard to feel any sympathy for either of them.

The victim was a wife better, he did horrible things to her........I knew her when she lived in Australia. He didn't even know he was gonna be a father for the second time, not that he even gave a shit about his first daughter or step daughter. I am positive he would have killed them if he hadn't been killed himself, however I do not condone murder and if Tony did kill Andy then I feel he needs to serve his time. It will be closure to finally find out what happened that night

[Oberkommando]

I met this guy in Bangkok in his first week here, in the old Scottish bar on the end of Soi 22 when it was on the main Sukhumvit Road.

He had several false passports, and said he was on the run for armed robbery in the UK.

He hung around for a while, then moved to Pattaya a few months later, I never saw him again since.

how the guy with to kids was killed?..............i read the 1st article that the police, Western Australia didn't want to reveal it.

He was shot, I still remember the article in the Guardian on Scotland Yard's Top Ten most wanted. Prestidge was #9 on the list.

[fitzgib]

I met this guy in Bangkok in his first week here, in the old Scottish bar on the end of Soi 22 when it was on the main Sukhumvit Road.

He had several false passports, and said he was on the run for armed robbery in the UK.

He hung around for a while, then moved to Pattaya a few months later, I never saw him again since.

how the guy with to kids was killed?..............i read the 1st article that the police, Western Australia didn't want to reveal it.

He was shot, I still remember the article in the Guardian on Scotland Yard's Top Ten most wanted. Prestidge was #9 on the list.

Wasn't shot.......bludgeon to death with a blunt, heavy item to the head. Apparently he was unrecognisable, that's what we got from the investigating officer at the time if the murder anyway.

[Buchholz]

The victim was a wife better

The inescapable downside to being a murder victim... the inability to defend one's self against accusations.

[fitzgib]

The victim was a wife better

The inescapable downside to being a murder victim... the inability to defend one's self against accusations.

True, however this is not an accusation, only stating a fact.

[Buchholz]

The victim was a wife better

The inescapable downside to being a murder victim... the inability to defend one's self against accusations.

True, however this is not an accusation, only stating a fact.

At this point, clearly it is not.

I didn't know the victim from Adam... but I also don't know a completely anonymous someone who just joined the forum a few hours ago from Adam, either, and without any corroboration whatsoever, it remains... an unanswerable accusation of a murdered man.

[Big Gary]

"I want to come back to Australia to clear my name"

if he wanted to clear his name he should not run from the murder place and call police. Now he is forced back to australia and it doesn't look good for him.

after 9 years on the run probably his passport was expiring and no consulate would issue him a new one - hence emmigration problem in thailand. That on assumption he did not use some fake pass

I've never once been asked to present my passport in this country even on a traffic violation. Show your drivers license, pay your fine or back hander and get your licence handed back. It wouldn't be very difficult to hide out in this country if you didn't want to be found. Don't believe he has an "official Thai wife" though as that's one thing where you need official letters from your embassy but with a sample they could be forged quite easily. If Bin Laden managed to hide in Pakistan only 50km from Islamabad next to a military academy with the CIA and whole world looking for him plus a 20 million USD price on his head I don't think it's that far fetched that a minor murderer (the Aussie) could fall off the radar!

He,s not an AUSSIE

[fitzgib]

The victim was a wife better

The inescapable downside to being a murder victim... the inability to defend one's self against accusations.

True, however this is not an accusation, only stating a fact.

At this point, clearly it is not.

I didn't know the victim from Adam... but I also don't know a completely anonymous someone who just joined the forum a few hours ago from Adam, either, and without any corroboration whatsoever, it remains... an unanswerable accusation of a murdered man

No, you have no idea who i am however my family and I knew his wife and children when she lived in Australia and its just a shame that no

one has been interested in her story and that her husband has been painted as a perfect husband and father in the media...like I said before I do not condone nor support his murder and his murderer should face a court.

[PepeLePew]

Checked my pictures, was definately him, Sakon Nakon 2008. Nice bloke, I got on well with him.

[Buchholz]

Checked my pictures, was definately him, Sakon Nakon 2008. Nice bloke, I got on well with him.

What was he doing at the time? Work? Family? etc.

Not too many farang up that way. In addition to the other locations in Thailand that are referenced earlier, it certainly seems he got around quite a bit.

[Buchholz]

The inescapable downside to being a murder victim... the inability to defend one's self against accusations.

True, however this is not an accusation, only stating a fact.

At this point, clearly it is not.

I didn't know the victim from Adam... but I also don't know a completely anonymous someone who just joined the forum a few hours ago from Adam, either, and without any corroboration whatsoever, it remains... an unanswerable accusation of a murdered man

No, you have no idea who i am however my family and I knew his wife and children when she lived in Australia and its just a shame that no

one has been interested in her story and that her husband has been painted as a perfect husband and father in the media...like I said before I do not condone nor support his murder and his murderer should face a court.

I fully expect details, such as what you purport, will be revealed in court if they are factual.

What, if any, role they play in the adjudication of this case will be seen at that time.

A different and interesting aspect to me is that I've not seen any mention of the widow in the recent articles. In the earlier article regarding the surviving family members, the absence of discussing her in the reporting was very noticeable.

.

[PepeLePew]

Checked my pictures, was definately him, Sakon Nakon 2008. Nice bloke, I got on well with him.

What was he doing at the time? Work? Family? etc.

Not too many farang up that way. In addition to the other locations in Thailand that are referenced earlier, it certainly seems he got around quite a bit.

He seemed to be a little down on his uppers. I'm not 100% on the details as I didn't interrogate him but I believe he was sleeping on a friends floor/couch in return for a bit of sweeping up, cooking, helping out etc (he did cook excellent Thai food!). He wasn't completely destitute though as he came out with us a couple of times. He was quite sweet on a waitress at a restaurant but confessed to me he was a bit too skint to ask her out. I offered to give him a some cash but he refused it. Like I said a thoroughly nice guy. I don't remember him mentioning a wife and child though but he may have done. He certainly wasn't with her as a couple at that point, maybe on a break?

You are certainly correct, there were very few farang up there. I remember thinking at the time it would be an ideal place to hide out on the run. It never occured to me that one of my new friends was doing just that.

[Buchholz]

Checked my pictures, was definately him, Sakon Nakon 2008. Nice bloke, I got on well with him.

What was he doing at the time? Work? Family? etc.

Not too many farang up that way. In addition to the other locations in Thailand that are referenced earlier, it certainly seems he got around quite a bit.

He seemed to be a little down on his uppers. I'm not 100% on the details as I didn't interrogate him but I believe he was sleeping on a friends floor/couch in return for a bit of sweeping up, cooking, helping out etc (he did cook excellent Thai food!). He wasn't completely destitute though as he came out with us a couple of times. He was quite sweet on a waitress at a restaurant but confessed to me he was a bit too skint to ask her out. I offered to give him a some cash but he refused it. Like I said a thoroughly nice guy. I don't remember him mentioning a wife and child though but he may have done. He certainly wasn't with her as a couple at that point, maybe on a break?

You are certainly correct, there were very few farang up there. I remember thinking at the time it would be an ideal place to hide out on the run. It never occured to me that one of my new friends was doing just that.

Thanks for your post, Pepe.

I've always wondered what it'd be like to discover someone I knew was a wanted criminal, (it seems to happen with recurring frequency here), especially an alleged murderer. That's got to be strange, eery feeling.

Sounds like he was struggling quite a bit then, but then again, he did survive that period as well as for 3 years beyond that.

Personally, I traveled through Sakon Nakhon myself in 2007 and didn't see one other farang the whole time. I'm still undecided about the notion that those sort of places are a good place to hide out while on the lam or not as a farang would certainly stand out in the more remote areas.

Thanks again; it'll be interesting to keep tabs on how his trial progresses.

[PepeLePew]

Checked my pictures, was definately him, Sakon Nakon 2008. Nice bloke, I got on well with him.

What was he doing at the time? Work? Family? etc.

Not too many farang up that way. In addition to the other locations in Thailand that are referenced earlier, it certainly seems he got around quite a bit.

He seemed to be a little down on his uppers. I'm not 100% on the details as I didn't interrogate him but I believe he was sleeping on a friends floor/couch in return for a bit of sweeping up, cooking, helping out etc (he did cook excellent Thai food!). He wasn't completely destitute though as he came out with us a couple of times. He was quite sweet on a waitress at a restaurant but confessed to me he was a bit too skint to ask her out. I offered to give him a some cash but he refused it. Like I said a thoroughly nice guy. I don't remember him mentioning a wife and child though but he may have done. He certainly wasn't with her as a couple at that point, maybe on a break?

You are certainly correct, there were very few farang up there. I remember thinking at the time it would be an ideal place to hide out on the run. It never occured to me that one of my new friends was doing just that.

Thanks for your post, Pepe.

I've always wondered what it'd be like to discover someone I knew was a wanted criminal, (it seems to happen with recurring frequency here), especially an alleged murderer. That's got to be strange, eery feeling.

Sounds like he was struggling quite a bit then, but then again, he did survive that period as well as for 3 years beyond that.

Personally, I traveled through Sakon Nakhon myself in 2007 and didn't see one other farang the whole time. I'm still undecided about the notion that those sort of places are a good place to hide out while on the lam or not as a farang would certainly stand out in the more remote areas.

Thanks again; it'll be interesting to keep tabs on how his trial progresses.

You're welcome Buchholz.

I have to say it was a strange feeling when I saw his picture on here. Of course in 2008 I had no idea. To be honest though it was more suprise than any feeling of eeriness. As I said he came across as a thoroughly nice lad and we got on very well. Oddly what really suprises me is not the murder. Of course everything is 'alledged' at the moment but in my experience almost anyone can be a murderer, you just need to press the right buttons in the right situation. No, what really suprised me was the allegations of armed robbery etc. I have known a fair few villains in my day and this guy simply did not fit that particular mould. Maybe 5 years of Thailand living had chilled him out.

I'm not suprised you didn't see any farang in Sakon. I went there to visit a friend whose Gf at the time (now wife) was from there. There were 3 farang owned bars in town and we seemed to be the only customers in any of them. It also appeared my friend could name almost all the other potential customers.

[Oberkommando]

What I knew of him in Bangkok he was a wrong 'un. He had several false passports and was involved in criminal activities while in Bangkok. He wasn't shy about it either, and got severely beaten by a group of Thais one night in Sukhumvit, Soi Cowboy if I remember correctly.

[Buchholz]

Anthony Carl Prestidge appears over 2002 murder

A man accused of killing brother-in-law almost nine years ago has made a brief appearance in a Perth court today. Anthony Carl Prestidge, 49, was extradited from Thailand earlier this month after spending nine months on remand in a Bangkok prison for minor offences. He has since been charged with the wilful murder of his brother-in-law Andy Arthur Ball in 2002. Mr Ball, 24, was found dead in his Leopold Turn home in Ellenbrook although police have refused to reveal the cause of death.

Police allege that Prestidge, who was born in Edinburgh but holds dual British and Portuguese citizenship, arrived in Perth just weeks before Mr Ball’s death. It's alleged Mr Prestidge boarded a flight to Indonesia shortly after Mr Ball's death.

Mr Prestidge appeared in the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court via video link from Hakea Prison today. The court was told a lengthy adjournment would be necessary for prosecution material to be gathered and passed onto the defence.

Continues:

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/anthony-carl-prestidge-appears-over-2002-murder/story-e6frg13u-1226058387283

Perth Today - May 18, 2011

[oldsailor35]

I think we should have a Thaivisa "Most Wanted" gallery - as so many of them seem to end up here.

The police are missing a trick if they're not circulating these 'wanted' photographs amongst the expat forums in all the likely countries.

That requires thought + actually doing something and there's no tea money in it?

jb1

Actually, I meant that the police in the country where the crime is committed should post a few photos of the suspect on some of the expat forums in the more favoured fugitive hotspots - such as Thailand.

An excellent and commonsense idea. I knew a guy on Samui. He was a decent kind of a bloke, then one day he did something silly, was arrested and "lo and behold" it appears that he was a wanted British criminal. He was extradited and now serving time in a UK jail where he belongs. None of us who befriended him would ever have guessed.

[overhaul38]

Fast justice. It make me wonder why the extradition of Victor Bout was such a traumatic exercise.

[Joogie]

About time he was caught , now it's time for him to face the music ... As he is still breathing and he's victim is not !!!!!

[Lora]

You've got that wrong the wife is her brothers double she could defenitly take care of her self and any one else who got in her way, don't kid your self about that . The children were beautiful kids and loved by Andy

[Lora]

That was a reply to you chickenlegs

[webfact]

the time has come to close this thread.

//CLOSED//