Stevie Bamford Begins 15-Day Sentence For Phuket False Sexual Assault Claim

[webfact]

Stevie Bamford begins 15-day sentence for Phuket false sexual assault claim

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Provincial Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon (main photo) confirmed that Stevie Bamford (inset) will be released on July 18. Photos: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- Stevie Rochelle Bamford, the 21-year-old Australian tourist who confessed to falsely reporting she was raped by Patong tuk-tuk drivers, began her 15-day sentence at Phuket’s Baan Bang Jo correctional facility yesterday.

Phuket Prison chief Rapin Nichanon today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette, “She has been detained at the Bang Jo facility since yesterday evening, where she will remain for 15 days as ordered by the Phuket Provincial Court.”

Chief Rapin made it clear that, “According to the sentence, she is being detained, not imprisoned. That is why she is at the Bang Jo facility.”

The Bang Jo Detention Center is primarily used for inmates about to reintegrate with society after serving sentences at Phuket Provincial Prison or for people serving short sentences.

“She will be released on the morning of July 18,” Chief Rapin said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16342.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-05

[kiniyow]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

[Jimi007]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

[pacovl46]

Have fun, honey!

[robblok]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

True.. but the fact that its wrong that a tuk tuk driver gets off easy does not make it so that her sentence is harsh. Saying you are raped is a real low thing. Someone could have ended up in jail for it while it never happened.

[Jimi007]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

True.. but the fact that its wrong that a tuk tuk driver gets off easy does not make it so that her sentence is harsh. Saying you are raped is a real low thing. Someone could have ended up in jail for it while it never happened.

Yes, but she ended up in jail for it. She at first accused a tuk tuk or taxi driver of rape, but never pointed the finger at anyone. With all the assaults they commit every year, it was an easy thing for her to say, probably the first thing that came to her mind. It's what everyone reads about Phuket, isn't it? Do you think that Thais get harsher sentences than foreigners here? All am saying is the law doesn't seem to be applied equally across race or nationality in Thailand...

[rotary]

She may really get raped in prison but 15 days was to short. She should have got at least 1 year.

[charmonman]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

True.. but the fact that its wrong that a tuk tuk driver gets off easy does not make it so that her sentence is harsh. Saying you are raped is a real low thing. Someone could have ended up in jail for it while it never happened.

Yes, but she ended up in jail for it. She at first accused a tuk tuk or taxi driver of rape, but never pointed the finger at anyone. With all the assaults they commit every year, it was an easy thing for her to say, probably the first thing that came to her mind. It's what everyone reads about Phuket, isn't it? Do you think that Thais get harsher sentences than foreigners here? All am saying is the law doesn't seem to be applied equally across race or nationality in Thailand...

The taxi driver in question punched the guy in the nose (or something of that nature) during a dispute. That deserves a prison sentence? I don't think so, otherwise the prisons would likely be extremely overcrowded. On the other hand, making a false accusation, or a false report of rape is serious business. It was an easy thing for her to say? First thing that came to her mind? Well, it shouldn't be, and I think the sentence is more than fair!

When you are a visitor in a foreign country, behave yourself, obey the rules, and don't go around accusing the locals of crimes they didn't commit - really simple!

[Jimi007]

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

True.. but the fact that its wrong that a tuk tuk driver gets off easy does not make it so that her sentence is harsh. Saying you are raped is a real low thing. Someone could have ended up in jail for it while it never happened.

Yes, but she ended up in jail for it. She at first accused a tuk tuk or taxi driver of rape, but never pointed the finger at anyone. With all the assaults they commit every year, it was an easy thing for her to say, probably the first thing that came to her mind. It's what everyone reads about Phuket, isn't it? Do you think that Thais get harsher sentences than foreigners here? All am saying is the law doesn't seem to be applied equally across race or nationality in Thailand...

The taxi driver in question punched the guy in the nose (or something of that nature) during a dispute. That deserves a prison sentence? I don't think so, otherwise the prisons would likely be extremely overcrowded. On the other hand, making a false accusation, or a false report of rape is serious business. It was an easy thing for her to say? First thing that came to her mind? Well, it shouldn't be, and I think the sentence is more than fair!

When you are a visitor in a foreign country, behave yourself, obey the rules, and don't go around accusing the locals of crimes they didn't commit - really simple!

I am guessing you don't live in Phuket. The main prison is over 100 years old and is very over crowded. The tourist was hit in the face with a walkie talkie. There was a German last year put into a coma by another tuk tuk driver beating. No charges, were ever brought. It's in the news constantly here. I agree that she shouldn't have come up with a lame story because she was out late partying, but it wasn't assault either...

Edited July 5, 2012 by Jimi007

[smokie36]

Short sharp shock sentence. A bit of Thai common sense being applied.

[PaiMei]

I agree that she shouldn't have come up with a lame story because she was out late partying, but it wasn't assault either...

I'll take a strike to the face and a handful of stitches any day of my life over a false accusation of rape.

There are serious issues with corruption and violence in Phuket, making light of what she did won't help address that.

[charmonman]

Yes, but she ended up in jail for it. She at first accused a tuk tuk or taxi driver of rape, but never pointed the finger at anyone. With all the assaults they commit every year, it was an easy thing for her to say, probably the first thing that came to her mind. It's what everyone reads about Phuket, isn't it? Do you think that Thais get harsher sentences than foreigners here? All am saying is the law doesn't seem to be applied equally across race or nationality in Thailand...

The taxi driver in question punched the guy in the nose (or something of that nature) during a dispute. That deserves a prison sentence? I don't think so, otherwise the prisons would likely be extremely overcrowded. On the other hand, making a false accusation, or a false report of rape is serious business. It was an easy thing for her to say? First thing that came to her mind? Well, it shouldn't be, and I think the sentence is more than fair!

When you are a visitor in a foreign country, behave yourself, obey the rules, and don't go around accusing the locals of crimes they didn't commit - really simple!

I am guessing you don't live in Phuket. The main prison is over 100 years old and is very over crowded. The tourist was hit in the face with a walkie talkie. There was a German last year put into a coma by another tuk tuk driver beating. No charges, were ever brought. It's in the news constantly here. I agree that she shouldn't have come up with a lame story because she was out late partying, but it wasn't assault either...

You're right, I don't live in Phuket, but I was referring to reports of the specific incident where the driver was fined 3000 baht for striking the guy in the face and then running, not to the various stabbings and murders which obviously deserve far more serious penalties. If the prison is already overcrowded, and I am sure you are correct about that, then how would it help to throw a person involved in a minor punch up in there to make it even worse? The ones who are involved in serious beatings, stabbings, and murders should have the book thrown at them.

As for the young farang woman, it may not have been assault, but she has done harm to the next woman who actually is raped. Her false report trivializes the real and serious crime commited against other women.

All in all, Phuket sounds like one of the last places in Thailand I would want to visit. I've been there a few times over the years. First time was 1987. Last time was just after the tsunami. It seemed a bit over-priced the last time, but not that bad. Sounds like it has deteriorated since then.

[gaucho]

She may really get raped in prison but 15 days was to short. She should have got at least 1 year.

i agree this little tart has apparently already planning to sell her STORY .to a rag in oz and her "management team" has even been negotiating possible bikini and topless shots ....she will end up infamous but financially well off over this ...its a real joke ....the reception desk people at her hotel where friends of mine were staying at the time say she was a deplorable person

[Nigel1500]

Enjoy your 15 days of fried pork and sticky rice.

[Colabamumbai]

Hopefully she will be deported and denied entry into the Kingdom again.

[simple1]

Enjoy your 15 days of fried pork and sticky rice.

Doubt that - loving family/boyfriend will ensure she's taken care of

[Baerboxer]

Serious charges..She should consider herself very Lucky to get just 15 Days....

Falsifying a police report will get a young foreign woman 15 days of detention, but a Thai tuk tuk driver assaults a tourist and he might get a 3,000 Baht fine with a month suspended prison term or no charges at all. Doesn't seem like equal justice to me...

True.. but the fact that its wrong that a tuk tuk driver gets off easy does not make it so that her sentence is harsh. Saying you are raped is a real low thing. Someone could have ended up in jail for it while it never happened.

Yes, but she ended up in jail for it. She at first accused a tuk tuk or taxi driver of rape, but never pointed the finger at anyone. With all the assaults they commit every year, it was an easy thing for her to say, probably the first thing that came to her mind. It's what everyone reads about Phuket, isn't it? Do you think that Thais get harsher sentences than foreigners here? All am saying is the law doesn't seem to be applied equally across race or nationality in Thailand...

That's immaterial. She committed a serious crime - making a false report to the please. This would have attracted harsher penalties in many other countries.

The fact she made a general rather than person specific allegation was probably taken into account by the court and refelcted in the leniency of the sentence.

To answer your question on the equal application of law would require comparison with the treatment of a Thai national in similar circumstance i.e. a false general rape allegation made to save face with her boyfriend. Comparing the punishment for different crimes introduces an incorrect variable.

Hopefully she will be deported after finishing her detention, with appropriate passport stamping, just like anyother convicted criminal,

[Baerboxer]

She may really get raped in prison but 15 days was to short. She should have got at least 1 year.

i agree this little tart has apparently already planning to sell her STORY .to a rag in oz and her "management team" has even been negotiating possible bikini and topless shots ....she will end up infamous but financially well off over this ...its a real joke ....the reception desk people at her hotel where friends of mine were staying at the time say she was a deplorable person

That's appalling to hear - and a sad comment on the culture in Oz if it happens. She should be treated like the silly little spoilt tart that she is - clearly demonsrtated by her behaviour, and regardless of who "daddy" is or was. Yes - a year would have been more appropriate.

[sportsman69]

Enjoy your 15 days of fried pork and sticky rice.

You obviously have not had the pleasure of being a resident, " fried pork and sticky rice." Never.

Main diet is fish frame or fish head soup, sometimes you might get soup made with chicken frames, heads and feet, sparingly served with indigestible 1/2 cooked cheapest rice. No seconds ! No red wine! As much unfiltered tap water as you wish, all in keeping with the rent you pay for 7 sq ft of sleeping space. Drinkable bottled water is available from the shop. It's a bit akin to hospital food, survival rations only. Anything with any form of nutrition such a Ma Ma noodles or 7 baht sardines for 20 baht, has to be purchased from the prison shop from your prison bank a/c funded by the rellies. Outside food is usually spoilt beyond recognition or consumption in the search for implements or drugs. Get an orange, apple or bananas sent in, you will get the skin. I think the " growing of vegetables for the main prison " is a myth. If any are grown they would be for the consumption of prison staff. Phuket Shangri-La it is not.

It may be better at Bang Jo, but for her sake, I hope not.

Edited July 6, 2012 by sportsman69