Koh Tao: Suspects found guilty of murdering British backpackers

[Alwyn]

After giving a cash reward to the police for "a perfect investigation" there could only be one verdict. I left Thailand after 15 years and after the coup as it was obvious to me that this coup was different and the General was never going to be going anywhere. I'm so glad I did leave. I have to go back one more time to sort some stuff out but that's me finished with this beautiful yet corrupt country. Thankfully I am in a position where I can choose somewhere else. Back to Pipa, Brazil, for me!

[lucky11]

No surprise there.

Another travesty of justice in LOS.

So innocent people aren't jailed elsewhere....

No, it would seem it's a uniquely Thai problem!

Really, iv read a few have in USA, jailed more than 20 years only to be released... You must only read Thai news

Yes, just Google Julie Stott murder as a prime example of injustices in the US. This story is unbelievably tragic and makes a travesty of the American justice system.

[MockingJay]

This "trial" and "verdict" mirrors everything us Thailand expats see and hear all day long... Let's admit it - we live in a corrupt, disgraceful, greedy, empathy-depraved racist cesspit that simply has been decorated very nicely.

Edited December 24, 2015 by MockingJay

[smedly]

No DNA NOTHING terrible unbelievable just my two cents

No DNA NOTHING!! - this was the main grounds of evidence that sent them down - their 7 defence witnesses failed to challenge this (because they were not able to). So, contrary to what you write, this was their undoing and it proved to be the key evidence resulting in their conviction. So, your two cents worth is probably worth a few dimes at most!!

how can you challenge "the dna matched because I say so"

Give us the original samples so we can have them tested - oh we don't have those any more .............seriously, this was what the judges based their verdict on, and these original samples would have been plentiful and taken through several different procedures including from the crime scene and during autopsy - but there were no original samples left ?????

sure they offered up some already processed sample that could never be verified as to its origins - it could easily have been original saliva samples taken from the accused

[Oziex1]

Come April I will be voting with my heels and wallet in opposition to this farcical place of usery, deceit , conceit and corruption.

Someone else can take my seat in this 3 ring "cluster - f"

My first few years here were lovely but what it was has gone down the sewer drain now.

This verdict and the past 2 years of chaos, incompetence and empty promises has left me feeling impotent and "dirty by association".

It will be good riddance come April.

Please don't take this the wrong way WL, my emotions are running high as well but if you leave Thailand to a place of great justice and fairness for all please, please tell me where it is I will join you without hesitation.

[blowin]

Disgusted !! I said to my wife (Thai) going to bed last night "do you think theses guys will be found not guilty"? Her reply was straight and not given much thought and was " too many powerful people will lose face if that happens so they will be guilty tomorrow". Thats why we choose to live and bring up our family in the west and have no dreams of having our children's mind's corrupted by the Thai system. But GREAT day for power and corruption in Thailand !!

[smedly]

No surprise there.

Another travesty of justice in LOS.

So innocent people aren't jailed elsewhere....

sometimes innocent people do get banged up but it is becoming less frequent as procedures and science advances, but the huge difference in the west is that the prosecution actually attempt to get the right people investigated and convicted and the defense council are actually allowed to defend without being inhibited in any way, we also have a full disclosure system were the prosecution case must be fully disclosed to the defense team and they must be allowed access to all physical evidence and documentation

[zakk9]

Excellent analysis from BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35170419?utm_content=buffer5a6e0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[buji]

@buji

And what belief is that? That this trial was flawed from start to finish? If so then yes I do believe that.

Do I think the two men are innocent? No idea. They could well be guilty for all I know. We will never know after the way this case has been handled.

It's Thailand! Do you even live here!

[city]

Appeal time, this isnt done, world media is going to be all over this.

One more nail in the Juntas coffin.

Why would this be a nail in the Juntas coffin they have done their duty to the people who brought them in. The ruling criminal elite.

Was it not prayut who said "There is enough evidence to convict" , not to prosecute but to convict. In anywhere but this 3rd world backwater, that statement would have been enough to drop all charges as somebody in Prayuts position would have been seen as influencing the outcome. And he would have been removed from office.

Ah well

What would possess a Pm to come out with such a statement, I think before all evidence was collected. This man does not have to bow to any criminal elite so why, whats he hiding, why did he remove the original officer in charge for a lapdog officer. Whats big enough to make the PM jump. Maybe its in the DNA or the DNA that was never sampled

Edited December 24, 2015 by city

[dunroaming]

The families appear to be satisfied by the verdict but after this amount of time and the trauma of it all they just wanted closure.

Shame on you Thailand but no surprise. Corruption, money and face saving is everything here. It is so ingrained that it will never really change. I hope that this gets the backlash it should through social media and people in the streets.

[Bluespunk]

@buji

And what belief is that? That this trial was flawed from start to finish? If so then yes I do believe that.

Do I think the two men are innocent? No idea. They could well be guilty for all I know. We will never know after the way this case has been handled.

It's Thailand! Do you even live here!

Yes, 14 years now.

Yourself?

[TheKnave]

For all u non believers, watch bbc and see the brother and family make a statement, nothing but praise for the justice system, they have been there for many months, visiting the ocurts, not you keyboard warriors that want to knock Thailand at every opportunity. the burmese guys had top lawyers paid for by an activist group, how pathetic, activisits are idiots.

Well, that's it then. Impartial witnesses have spoken...

[Borzandy]

It's a shame. And how the British Embassy reacts? There were some British detectives who have "assisted" the corrupted Thai police

[StealthEnergiser]

No DNA NOTHING terrible unbelievable just my two cents

No DNA NOTHING!! - this was the main grounds of evidence that sent them down - their 7 defence witnesses failed to challenge this (because they were not able to). So, contrary to what you write, this was their undoing and it proved to be the key evidence resulting in their conviction. So, your two cents worth is probably worth a few dimes at most!!

"A one-page table with alterations is not a suitable document to provide to a court. A report should not have alterations, especially hand-written ones, with no explanation as to why they were altered."

There were other problems too. The date of the original DNA analysis was said to have been the 17 September, but the report submitted to court was dated 5 October. This was two days after the police had announced a positive match with the two Burmese defendants. That unexplained discrepancy inevitably raises suspicion that perhaps the result was manipulated.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35170419

[lucky11]

No DNA NOTHING terrible unbelievable just my two cents

No DNA NOTHING!! - this was the main grounds of evidence that sent them down - their 7 defence witnesses failed to challenge this (because they were not able to). So, contrary to what you write, this was their undoing and it proved to be the key evidence resulting in their conviction. So, your two cents worth is probably worth a few dimes at most!!

how can you challenge "the dna matched because I say so"

Give us the original samples so we can have them tested - oh we don't have those any more .............seriously, this was what the judges based their verdict on, and these original samples would have been plentiful and taken through several different procedures including from the crime scene and during autopsy - but there were no original samples left ?????

sure they offered up some already processed sample that could never be verified as to its origins - it could easily have been original saliva samples taken from the accused

They were convicted chiefly on the evidence gained from DNA. The seven top notch defence lawyers did not contest this in court. Why not? May I offer up an explanation, they did not, because it was solid evidence that they were incapable of refuting and proves that they were indeed the perpetrators of this hideous crime despite the hysteric outcry by those that fell for the perceived 'angelic' factor of two little persecuted scapegoats that never were anything of the sort!!

[lucky11]

No DNA NOTHING terrible unbelievable just my two cents

No DNA NOTHING!! - this was the main grounds of evidence that sent them down - their 7 defence witnesses failed to challenge this (because they were not able to). So, contrary to what you write, this was their undoing and it proved to be the key evidence resulting in their conviction. So, your two cents worth is probably worth a few dimes at most!!

"A one-page table with alterations is not a suitable document to provide to a court. A report should not have alterations, especially hand-written ones, with no explanation as to why they were altered."

There were other problems too. The date of the original DNA analysis was said to have been the 17 September, but the report submitted to court was dated 5 October. This was two days after the police had announced a positive match with the two Burmese defendants. That unexplained discrepancy inevitably raises suspicion that perhaps the result was manipulated.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35170419

Who cares about this date, that date, all that matters is that the B2's semen was found inside Hannah Witheridge and the seven top defence lawyers accepted this to be the case as it wasn't challenged in court. Game over, end of story!!

[shamrock09]

Am not surprised at the verdict, but to all those that know, this is a truly scary verdict. I expect to see some reaction from the MSM, but then is that too much to hope?

Disgraceful

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Brother of victim says justice has been served

The Nation

KOH SAMUI, Thailand - A Thai court sentenced two Myanmar migrant workers to death on Thursday after convicting them of the 2014 murders of two young British tourists on a holiday island.

The battered bodies of backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao in September 2014. Police said Witheridge, 23, had been raped and bludgeoned to death. Miller, 24, also suffered blows to his head.

Following weeks of pressure to solve the case, police arrested Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun.

The verdict and sentence follow an investigation and trial that triggered allegations of police incompetence, mishandling of evidence and DNA tests and torture of the suspects.

The verdicts came after 21 days of witness hearings in a trial that began in July and ended in October.

The court said the DNA tests by investigators were carried out to acceptable standards and the DNA found on Witheridge matched that of the defendants.

The judge said there was no weight to the two men’s claims that they had been tortured.

Miller’s family flew to Thailand for the verdict. His brother, Michael, delivered a statement to reporters outside the court and said justice had been delivered, adding that the two men had shown no remorse for what they had done.

"We believe what happened today represents justice for Hannah and David," said Miller. "The Royal Thai Police conducted a thorough and methodical investigation ... evidence against the two was overwhelming."

Witheridge’s family said the trial had been distressing.

"We found listening to proceedings very challenging and we have had to endure a lot of painful and confusing information," the family said in a statement.

"We now need time, as a family, to digest the outcome of the trial and figure out the most appropriate way to tell our story."

The mother of one of the defendants broke down in tears as the judge passed sentence in the court on Samui island, close to Koh Tao.

Defence lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat told reporters that the defendants would file an appeal within a month.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Brother-of-victim-says-justice-has-been-served-30275595.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-24

[Colabamumbai]

I do hope that the victims families are reading this thread.

They will think that justice has been served, but more than likely to innocent people.

[Arandora]

I've read some appalling stuff on this forum but the comments attacking the British victims' family and alleging that they would agree to anything that they did not really believe to be the truth about the murders of their dear ones and are actually involved in a conspiracy with the Thai Government, the Thai Poilice, the UK Government, the UK Police, the Mafia and Uncle Tom Cobley and all, stoops to the depths lower than the muck on the bottom of my shoe.

Those who are citing and supporting Jonathan Head and the BBC, wait to see what happens if they dare make the same allegations against the family directly in the UK that some of the depraved idiots have made here so far.

[AGareth2]

BBC Video Miller Family statement in front of Koh Samui Courthouse

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35173548

R.I.P Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, my best wishes to their families.

Churchill said that when you find yourself in Hell the best thing to do is to keep walking, they did so with dignity and remarkable stoicism, at the end they found the justice that they and their lost children deserved.

May life be more gentle with them from now on.

Amen.

[clockman]

Iam dugusted, with Britains stance on this case. But of course it is called diplomacy! So now we are lickspittles to the third world.

[balo]

I still feel the strong statement from David Millers brother means he must have heard something in this case that convinced him that the evidence was good enough . As an observer and not knowing all the facts it's very difficult to understand for most people . We are not closer to the truth ,if they are scapegoats or not.

Personally I believe they were present on the beach that night, close to the murder scene, but that someone else did the actual killings.

But I'm pretty sure they will appeal and the sentence will not be death, unless new evidence is provided that will clear their names, this will probably end up as a life sentence. That could take a couple of years.

Edited December 24, 2015 by balo

[BlindMagician]

like to hear what the families have to say

David's family made a statement. Saw it on the beeb. I imagine the beeb will replay it throughout today, plus put it on the web.

[Lingba]

Thailand ..be ashamed of yourself!..this is just a horrible horrible decision...Who do you think you are kidding?!...Nobody!...This country is in a lot of trouble

[sweatalot]

I feel sorry for their loss.

But this does not excuse their celebrating this verdict.

If they know something that gives reason for their opinion they should let everybody know

- so people can peacefully agree with the verdict

If not they have been brainwashed - or may be even bribed??

[duckmandon]

Thankfully there an appeal process.

Hopefully the world media and governments put the heat on this shambles.

Is the judge required to give his/her summary of considerations which led to the verdict?

They wont get time to appeal. They will be executed quickly to save face & to stop the real perpetrator being caught. Just wait & see what the world (unrestricted) media do with this.

[Renrut]

It would be good if all those criticising the police investigation, the judge's decision, the legal system and the courts, would bear in mind that the trial is not over, far from it. The appeal is next and if that is unsuccessful, without doubt, the final decision will be made by the Supreme Court.

[mrrizzla]

I still feel the strong statement from David Millers brother means he must have heard something in this case that convinced him that the evidence is good enough. As an observer and not knowing all the facts it's very difficult to understand for most people . We are not closer to the truth ,if they are scapegoats or not.

Personally I believe they were present on the beach that night, close to the murder scene, but that someone else did the actual killings.

But I'm pretty sure they will appeal and the sentence will not be death, unless new evidence is provided that will clear their names, this will probably end up as a life sentence. That could take a couple of years.

I believe this crime was committed by more than two people, and that the B2 may have indeed been on the scene at the behest of their employers at the time.

Their employers who btw people that believe that this verdict is correct, have been pictured mocking these events. They have been posted here before.