British tourist, 46, beaten to death in Thai prison after being accused of stealing a moped

[unanimosity]

Thainess at it's best

Only if it was ten against one.

[Strangebrew]

To bad for the guy but that's thai prisions or prisions in General. RIP.

[eastcanje]

I don't know whether he WAS a Thief. Who put him in that position ... ?

Can you Flaunt laws, act criminally, end up in Prison and then complain when others

of that persuasion (your cell mates, mate) chance to beat you to death .. ?

Just who is to blame here .. ? Probably the Moped owner who allowed his Moped

to be stolen ... eh .. ?

No Tears for people who willingly cross the line, then encounter - OMG, consequences .. !

Feel for the family a bit, though ... this meathead is causing problems even 8 months after his death.

Like I said before, do you know that he was guilty? I assume you are not Thai...and hope that a Thai person who takes a dislike to you does not report you to the BIB for some trumped up charge! You may find that being "different" weighs against!

[rumbo1]

I'm not one to rag on thai English language news for bad grammar, but w-t-f does a moped have to do with anything in this story?

These people have zero professioanl pride in their work.

Just the most inane bs you can imagine, daily.

He was put in prison because he was caught on CCTV stealing a moped/scooter

Although he didn't deserve to be killed he was regularly causing problems and previously been arrested for racial insults

[slygeeza]

I met the guy shortly before he went to jail. He was very violent and delusional to say the least. I went out of my way to avoid him. Thai jails have about 70 people in a cell and no moving room. Theres no way he would last more then a few days in that environment with his antisocial behavior. Not that it should have been covered up.

[BradinAsia]

Thainess at it's best

Nonsensical post at its worst.

[ggt]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Moral of the story. Don't be an idiot in Thailand. Don't break the law. Don't go to jail. Don't die in prison.

And do not expect your timely day in court...if you are falsely accused of a crime...try to make friends with all the scumbags...and do not fall off of any walls...

[anon467367354]

It's a prison people, what do you expect, crochet classes and finger painting?

So in other words if just accused, you're thrown into a life and death situation?

There is no concern for the welfare of the "accused"

Like badgering a dog, throw them both in a barrel and see who wins?

Your post is badgering and pathetic and totally unsympathetic.

[godden]

British embassy, a bucket full of &lt;deleted&gt;

[deecee10]

It's a prison people, what do you expect, crochet classes and finger painting?

Having read your comment and seen your avatar, I can see the connection.

[rondii]

Thainess at it's best

Yes, going to England or USA, never a death in prison there!!!...only in Thailand

[JenniferSG]

Moral of the story. Don't be an idiot in Thailand. Don't break the law. Don't go to jail. Don't die in prison.

He was accused, but was he convicted? It is possible to go to jail for something you did not do.

[gabruce]

It's a prison people, what do you expect, crochet classes and finger painting?

True. It is a prison. It also seems like something is wrong if being accused (not convicted, just accused) of stealing a scooter puts you in prison and get's you killed.

[JenniferSG]

I met the guy shortly before he went to jail. He was very violent and delusional to say the least. I went out of my way to avoid him. Thai jails have about 70 people in a cell and no moving room. Theres no way he would last more then a few days in that environment with his antisocial behavior. Not that it should have been covered up.

Do they not have isolation or segregation in Thai jails? If someone is that disturbed, most jails would isolate them. Especially if they are being beaten in to a wheelchair.

[kerrysum]

This post is kinda, on a limb? Killed for being accused? I know the prisons are not that good, but I think there is something deeper involved here......

What ever happened to common law? Is this an example of Thainess?????? Why would he be in prison if not convicted?

Just a thought.....

Kerry

[Bluespunk]

Moral of the story. Don't be an idiot in Thailand. Don't break the law. Don't go to jail. Don't die in prison.

He was accused, but was he convicted? It is possible to go to jail for something you did not do.

Can depend on your skin colour, but in many parts of the the world, yes you can.

Edited May 10, 2014 by Bluespunk

[mrowe1973]

People it says he was accused of stealing a moped. Lets not assume he was guilty! What if he was murdered in prison and was also innocent? Besides should someone recieve the death penalty for stealing a moped? Isn't a human life worth more then moped? Imagine how his parents feel!

[JohnThailandJohn]

I also think that it is not helpful to invent evidence to support once narrative,nowhere in this article is there any evidence that the prisoner was"bothering other prisoners and acting violently"

DCI Bob Qazi, who has been liaising with the Flanagan family, said: It was said by several people he was losing his self-control, refusing to sleep and exhibiting violent behaviour. The gist of it was he was disturbing other prisoners and irritating them. See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2624092/British-tourist-46-beaten-death-Thai-prison-accused-stealing-moped.html#ixzz31H3F0qiB

That was not information contained in the article we are talking about, this is news to me

Thank you for that additional information.

The article says he was in a wheelchair because of an assault when he was visited by embassy officials and was then later assaulted again leading to his death. And the prison authorities still claimed he fell from a wall. Slime.

Actually it doesn't say that.

Prison officials said that the injuries had been caused by Flanagan falling off a wall and into a drinking trough. It was later revealed that he had been attacked. A second, and fatal, assault occurred sometime after the embassy officials visit.

It is clear the article is very on sided down to them saying it was a moped even thought the news article they state of his arrest actually calls it a motorcycle as well as there putting in his denial of guilt but failing to mention he was video taped as well as there being no interview with Thai authorities.

No doubt it would appear a Thai official(s) at the prison botched this initially but so many things not clear such as if a Thai autopsy was done and why not. Dates are also not clear. It appears they are saying Thai Authorities didn't begin an investigation until Nov. 2013 but not sure anybody would be privy to when they began an investigation and this may have been when they made an arrest.

The only thing really clear is this guy stole a vehicle, got sent to jail, the thief appears to have been bothering other inmates and ended up in a wheelchair and which time a Thai Official or Guard at the prison said his injuries were from a fall. Later it appears he got into another altercation and died and at some point after this (likely 8-months), they got the criminal responsible for his death and got him to confess.

[Traveller45]

I mean, come on. Here you have the nicest beauties, murderers, big-time thieves and members of organised crime, whiling away peaceful days in the clink, and this guy must die for stealing a moped? Makes you think there must be something else behind it that they don't tell you. True, it s a prison not a boarding school. The whole thing could of course have been a brawl between inmates, an accident really

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

USA averages a prison murder each month

A few differences here...

1. Thailand in its entirety is just a bit bigger in population than California alone... one of the 50 U.S. states.

2. Typically in the U.S., those awaiting trial on minor non-violent charges are not locked up with serious, convicted violent criminals.

[JohnThailandJohn]

If it makes people happy(as it would me) to get the message out that if you come to Thailand and take part in criminal activity you may end up in prison and if you continue to act like a thug/idiot in prison you may get beat or killed then great and wish Thai officials would promote these stories.

[Commercial HEO2 Diver]

I don't know whether he WAS a Thief. Who put him in that position ... ?

Can you Flaunt laws, act criminally, end up in Prison and then complain when others

of that persuasion (your cell mates, mate) chance to beat you to death .. ?

Just who is to blame here .. ? Probably the Moped owner who allowed his Moped

to be stolen ... eh .. ?

No Tears for people who willingly cross the line, then encounter - OMG, consequences .. !

Feel for the family a bit, though ... this meathead is causing problems even 8 months after his death.

Like I said before, do you know that he was guilty? I assume you are not Thai...and hope that a Thai person who takes a dislike to you does not report you to the BIB for some trumped up charge! You may find that being "different" weighs against!

Yeah . You can read the first line here .. ?

And what is your point ... is that the best you can do .. ?

Read before you comment, a**hat

[Traveller45]

Ok, let me reconsider that.

On March 29, he was visited by embassy officials who discovered that he was in a wheelchair, heavily bruised and speaking incoherently.

Prison officials said that the injuries had been caused by Flanagan falling off a wall and into a drinking trough. It was later revealed that he had been attacked. A second, and fatal, assault occurred sometime after the embassy official’s visit.

Apparently, then, by that time he must have stopped being "violent and delusional", although clearly still alive. If we rule out the possibility that he died because of his initial injuries, which must have been serious and perhaps involved brain damage, then Sean was, well, murdered. There s no other word for it. Probably the notion that animal societies, like prison inmates, have some basic degree of fairness is misplaced?

Edited May 10, 2014 by Traveller45

[Jimbolai]

It's a prison people, what do you expect, crochet classes and finger painting?

Being safe from attack? Not much to ask.

[Commercial HEO2 Diver]

The executing will be out on 50K baht bail very soon.

If he`s not already released.

What .. ?

[Jimbolai]

USA averages a prison murder each month

A few differences here...

1. Thailand in its entirety is just a bit bigger in population than California alone... one of the 50 U.S. states.

2. Typically in the U.S., those awaiting trial on minor non-violent charges are not locked up with serious, convicted violent criminals.

Prison in the US or prison in Thailand? It is a matter of choice for some. I feel for his family.

[Gargrave]

Thainess at it's best

Its a prison not a church.

The nicest people do not really end up in prison, many are lifers and could not care less to kill someone over the silliest thing

Nothing to do with Thainess,, same all over the world.

Perhaps in your fluffy little world of ignorance you have never heard of the innocent bing imprisoned.

If you can raise your intellect just a tad, you could check recent news reports of men in the US being imprisoned, even on death row, having been exonerated.

[johnlandy]

2nd prison death reported in the press this week. I wonder how many unreported ones there are.

Like road deaths they wouldn't have a clue.

[JohnThailandJohn]

USA averages a prison murder each month

A few differences here...

1. Thailand in its entirety is just a bit bigger in population than California alone... one of the 50 U.S. states.

2. Typically in the U.S., those awaiting trial on minor non-violent charges are not locked up with serious, convicted violent criminals.

On Number 2 you are wrong. It isn't until after conviction do prisoners get classified with few exceptions such as notable people who would be targets and known gang members.

On number 1 you are addressing a stat that is wrong. See: WASHINGTON — More than 2,000 criminal suspects died in police custody over a three-year period ... http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21255937/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/study-died-police-custody-over-years/#.U22hrPldX6k

Also of note is Wiki article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_custody) with links for many countries and starts off: A death in custody is a death of a person in the custody of the police, prison service or other authorities. Death in custody remains a controversial subject, with the authorities often being accused of abuse, neglect, racism and cover-ups of the causes of these deaths. (note Thailand not listed in this article)

Again big difference other places when things like this are reported in the news rational people just don't condemn an entire country or see it as a reflection of all its people or even see it as the norm because they know it is newsworthy ... except in the US where things like this tend to only be news worthy if caught on video in all its gore. Once an a while people should read their own countries news and see everyday the news is full of violence, cover-ups, officials screwing up and so on. Why in the world would anybody think a less developed nation, by almost definition, wouldn't and shouldn't be the same or worse?

Edited May 10, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[mok199]

i dont condon this,but i will say.doing time n thailand is not easy,and they are known for the poor conditions...north america needs to change its prison system to send a message to potential intmates....this is no club med,and you will be treated as criminals,not as guests, and things happen in prisons as a way of ''sending messages''or ''setteling grievances''that should be prison life...these days of whining prisoners ''my rights are being viloated'' i cant see my tv from my bed'' the steaks are too salty''.....stop the insanity....if you cant do the time ,then dont do the crime....the latest is ''inmates in the U S now want ot be paid for the ''community service they do'' and they are now trying to unionize.....unbelievalbe.........