Koh Tao: Suspects found guilty of murdering British backpackers

[Nomyai]

I applaud the police-they get confessions all the freakin time..................hahahaha. Only if police in usa were so good it would save the taxpayers a ton of munney.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Grieving families of slain duo relieved after court verdict

THE NATION

SAMUI:-- THE FAMILIES of the Koh Tao murder victims David Miller and Hannah Witheridge reacted differently to yesterday’s court ruling in the case.

Miller's family welcomed the death penalty for the two Myanmar migrant workers, who were found guilty of murdering the young British tourists and raping the woman in 2014. Witheridge's family said they would focus on their memories of her.

"As the trial concludes and the verdict is delivered, our family, once again, find ourselves in the path of a whirlwind of emotions and difficulties. In these challenging times, we try to concentrate our efforts on remembering our beautiful Hannah for the fun, vibrant and incredible young woman that she was," her family said in a statement.

Witheridge's family, which had attended an earlier part of the trial, did not return to Thailand for the verdict by the Koh Samui Provincial Court yesterday.

Miller's brother Michael said yesterday that the family was impressed by the workings of the Thai justice system.

"Over the last few months, we have attended many of the court sittings and we have gained real respect for this court," he said. "The judges have been invariably diligent, attentive, fair and extraordinarily hard-working. This has been a comfort to us."

Flanked by his parents as he spoke outside the court, Michael Miller said justice had been delivered, adding that the two men had shown no remorse for what they had done.

"David always stood up for justice and justice is what has been delivered [yesterday]," he said, endorsing the work of the Thai police and the reliability of the forensic evidence.

"We believe what happened [yesterday] 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, in their statement, said the trial had been distressing.

"The past year has served as an unimaginably impossible time for our family. We have found the trial process extremely difficult and our trips out to Thailand, to attend court, made for particularly distressing experiences," the statement said.

"We found listening to proceedings very challenging and we have had to endure a lot of painful and confusing information. 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."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Grieving-families-of-slain-duo-relieved-after-cour-30275646.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-25

[jacky54]

previously in the nation

The Nation, a prominent English language media outlet expressed the doubts held by many.

"The Samui court can best serve Thailand by showing that justice has been done - and throw the cops botched case out,” it concluded in a hard-hitting editorial.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/12066600/British-backpacker-murders-the-killings-that-put-a-countrys-justice-system-on-trial.html

Edited December 25, 2015 by jacky54

[stickylies]

43+thousand views on this tread so far. Wonder how many are government officials.

None, I would think. They've got better things to do than worry about what a few foreigners on this forum, with no direct knowledge of the court case at all, think of the outcome.

True. So many other priorities. Eg. Eat rice, sing a song, watch tv, ...

[elephant45]

I stayed in Malaysia for some years and every crime there was always blamed on the Migrants, Indonesians mostly. But I personally got robbed by the Malaysians on the street in broad daylight.

[tribalfusion001]

The only people who care about this case is on here. Move on it's finished, the important people are satisfied with the verdict, end of! An appeal will be the same, at least Thailand gave them a court hearing, more than be said for a lot of countries...

[NeverSure]

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.

Actually, regardless of what we on this thread might THINK, the family has had more access to evidence and police than any of us here. None of us on this thread have been in the courtroom.

While I've been of the opinion that they got the wrong guys, who are any of us here to say that the family is mistaken. They have followed this case much closer than ANY of us here.

The family also may have talked to Scotland Yard which had no authority to say or do anything in Thailand.

Something has caused the family to believe the two are guilty. I'm not privy to what that is.

Cheers.

[superal]

No surprise at all...Once again we an horrific misjudgement by the Thailand courts....all about protecting their inept corrupt police

If you are to believe the BBC take on events the so called 'inept corrupt police' were being protected by the seven defence lawyers!! Now, who would have imagined that? I personally don't believe this, I rather think that they were, for whatever reason, completely outflanked by the prosecutors with convincing evidence supplied to the court as to their undoubted guilt.

Hi Lucky 11,

You appear to be well up to date with this case and could you tell me and spare my research , was the prosecution evidence of the dna / semen that was found within the two bodies made available to the defence team for their own testing , or to an independent analyst ?

If this has been proven there is a 100% certainty of a correct verdict but if not , well ? or is there other evidence that has emerged that has brought this " beyond all reasonable doubt " guilty verdict .

You are not alone with some of your thoughts on the aspects of the case and the final decision. I like to think with an open mind, outside of the box and consider all possibilities . I believe the verdict is reached on the decision of one judge and there is no jury under the Thai justice system . We are only human and incorrect verdicts are commonplace around the western world even with a jury on board . We as guests in this country have to respect the workings, formalities and customs of Thailand and we cannot impose western rules .

If there was an appeal I would like to see the entire evidence presented to an independent judge/judges for their verdict . Finally I do feel that if the hierarchy of the Thai police had been involved from the outset as opposed to the traffic guys there would have been a lot less pain for all involved . Maybe a case of lessons learnt ?

[Brer Fox]

I get the underlying feeling that Michael Miller and the rest of the family of the late David Miller would have been satisfied if Winnie the Pooh had been found guilty; just so long as someone was. He observes that the two convicted men had shown no remorse for what they had done. Very difficult to show remorse for something one has not done.

[Nowisee]

The Police, Prosecutors, Judges, Laboratories, Thai Government, UK Investigators, UK Government and Victims Families are all in on this cover-up to protect a tiny island headsman.

This of course only makes sense to those who have a hatred for Thais,Thailand or just are getting some faux self-esteem from playing detective and coming up with conspiracy theories.

You see, it worked on you too. They fooled you.

FYI: It only takes covering up critical evidence in the very beginning (by the first one you listed) to get the thing going, it doesn't need to involve all those others you listed.... but you are not into hearing anything potentially logical as it is just hatred for thais and conspiracy theories.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Nowisee

[tribalfusion001]

I get the underlying feeling that Michael Miller and the rest of the family of the late David Miller would have been satisfied if Winnie the Pooh had been found guilty; just so long as someone was. He observes that the two convicted men had shown no remorse for what they had done. Very difficult to show remorse for something one has not done.

How would you feel if your brother had been brutally murdered? Sympathy should be with the victims, not the convicted.

If you don't like how the Thai system works, then don't bother coming here, it ain't going to change!

[kingalfred]

Family are happy with overwhelming evidence. End of story.

[sweatalot]

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.

Actually, regardless of what we on this thread might THINK, the family has had more access to evidence and police than any of us here. None of us on this thread have been in the courtroom.

While I've been of the opinion that they got the wrong guys, who are any of us here to say that the family is mistaken. They have followed this case much closer than ANY of us here.

The family also may have talked to Scotland Yard which had no authority to say or do anything in Thailand.

Something has caused the family to believe the two are guilty. I'm not privy to what that is.

Cheers.

"Something has caused the family to believe the two are guilty. I'm not privy to what that is."

May be.

But this "something" need neither be true nor a fact

[kingalfred]

I get the underlying feeling that Michael Miller and the rest of the family of the late David Miller would have been satisfied if Winnie the Pooh had been found guilty; just so long as someone was. He observes that the two convicted men had shown no remorse for what they had done. Very difficult to show remorse for something one has not done.

were you there? What do you know? Exactly "Nothing"!!

[NeverSure]

Oh please. These two men were convicted on nothing at all but circumstantial evidence. -snip-

Let's at least understand that circumstantial evidence is the strongest evidence presented to a court. Let me write a fictitious statement just to use the term in context.

"The circumstances were that his fingerprints were on the window sill and sperm with his DNA was on the bed sheets. The circumstances were that his image was on the CCTV showing him going in and out the window at about the time of the murder and rape. The further circumstances were that his fingerprints were on the bloody knife found by the body and some of that blood had his DNA."

Eyewitness testimony is the weakest because people can lie or just be wrong.

I'm not trying to debate this case or take a side. I just don't want people to think that circumstantial evidence isn't damning.

I do think that perhaps Scotland Yard talked to the family in ways they weren't authorized to do in Thailand. Something convinced the family, who of all people would want the killers caught.

Cheers.

[tribalfusion001]

I get the underlying feeling that Michael Miller and the rest of the family of the late David Miller would have been satisfied if Winnie the Pooh had been found guilty; just so long as someone was. He observes that the two convicted men had shown no remorse for what they had done. Very difficult to show remorse for something one has not done.

were you there? What do you know? Exactly "Nothing"!!

How very true. No one knows the truth, but on the evidence, it points to them.

If it was a rich connected family, money is #1, no different to anywhere else. Case over, move on, no one cares!

[AGareth2]

not sure I would want to be a Thai in Burma at the moment

[Artisi]

The only people who care about this case is on here. Move on it's finished, the important people are satisfied with the verdict, end of! An appeal will be the same, at least Thailand gave them a court hearing, more than be said for a lot of countries...

So you accept that because a small number of people accept that the verdict is ok, any miscarriage of justice is justified in your opinion, well guess what- it's not and never will be.

[DiscoDan]

No surprise at all...Once again we an horrific misjudgement by the Thailand courts....all about protecting their inept corrupt police

If you are to believe the BBC take on events the so called 'inept corrupt police' were being protected by the seven defence lawyers!! Now, who would have imagined that? I personally don't believe this, I rather think that they were, for whatever reason, completely outflanked by the prosecutors with convincing evidence supplied to the court as to their undoubted guilt.

Hi Lucky 11,

You appear to be well up to date with this case and could you tell me and spare my research , was the prosecution evidence of the dna / semen that was found within the two bodies made available to the defence team for their own testing , or to an independent analyst ?

If this has been proven there is a 100% certainty of a correct verdict but if not , well ? or is there other evidence that has emerged that has brought this " beyond all reasonable doubt " guilty verdict .

You are not alone with some of your thoughts on the aspects of the case and the final decision. I like to think with an open mind, outside of the box and consider all possibilities . I believe the verdict is reached on the decision of one judge and there is no jury under the Thai justice system . We are only human and incorrect verdicts are commonplace around the western world even with a jury on board . We as guests in this country have to respect the workings, formalities and customs of Thailand and we cannot impose western rules .

If there was an appeal I would like to see the entire evidence presented to an independent judge/judges for their verdict . Finally I do feel that if the hierarchy of the Thai police had been involved from the outset as opposed to the traffic guys there would have been a lot less pain for all involved . Maybe a case of lessons learnt ?

Yes it was and the defense turned it down instead focusing on the Hoe that wasn't even part of the prosecutions evidence.

[spareword]

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.

Yeah, we all should fall in line.

Even many have the feeling, that justice wasn't done, even many think, that 2 innocent people (2 MORE innocent people) are suffering...

Let's just all bow our heads, because some one says so!

So everyone else is expected to believe the twisted utterings of people like you who would have sensible people believe that a decent, grieving family has bowed their heads, because you say so! Where is YOUR evidence for that!!! People can have their views on the case, the trial and the result but to make unfounded and disgraceful insinuations against the family makes them no better than the ones they say "we should all fall in line with".

Indeed, it is unfortunate to spew towards the victims families. However, if that's the initial reaction when reading the families feel justice has been served, well then, so be it. To be quite honest, that's EXACTLY where my thoughts went when I read it. Does that lower my conscious on the ladder of humanity? Or is it a sad consequence of what this muddled case has led to.

It's a tragic event that one would hope for an honest resolution, but calling the verdict 'justice' is a shame..

[tribalfusion001]

The only people who care about this case is on here. Move on it's finished, the important people are satisfied with the verdict, end of! An appeal will be the same, at least Thailand gave them a court hearing, more than be said for a lot of countries...

So you accept that because a small number of people accept that the verdict is ok, any miscarriage of justice is justified in your opinion, well guess what- it's not and never will be.

Small number? Where do you get your facts from? The case is closed, no one else is getting the blame, no western intervention is going to change that. Tourists = $$$£££, it's over, finished, yesterday's news...

[alfalfa19]

Boycott Koh Tao......

exactly. and i personally inform any of my friends who plan to visit Thailand about this horrible event and the shameful aftermath.

Edited December 25, 2015 by alfalfa19

[cumgranosalum]

Sadly but jusltly so, the opinions of the families of victims hold no sway in a fair trial.

[joebrown]

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.

Apart from the Miller's family statement yesterday, the B2 also said " 'We are confident that the truth will be revealed on appeal and we shall eventually be freed".

The word 'eventually' could mean 6 months or 60 years, but I assume they mean short rather than in the long term. I can't see them being freed on appeal unless they start telling the whole truth about what they actually saw and did on the night of the murders, with substantive new evidence to back their claims. I too think they didn't participate in the murders directly, but know more than they've already said in court. Who would be willing to believe them if they revealed more during the appeals process. As we know a lot of evidence has already been misplaced and/or unusable, and there is one thing for sure and that is the Thai Police will not willingly re-open an investigation unless they're looking down the barrel of a very big gun. I remember the B2 were asked by the trial judge at the outset whether they knew who murdered David & Hannah, if they themselves didn't, and they gave a negative answer. I think their only hope now lies in some form of 'divine intervention'. There was a time when I thought the B2 might be acquitted, but nowadays I don't believe in miracles!

[AleG]

Amazing how hundreds if not thousands have come on here like blind sheep and done everything in their power to discredit the RTP in this case.

This whole Thaivisa witch hunt was based on nothing more than rumours and innuendos with very few of us disagreeing or at least thinking "Hey wait a minute maybe it was these guys"

Even now when the family who were in the court unlike the members of Thaivisa who haven't got a clue what went on the witch hunt continues.

Talk about Thais not wanting to lose face.........have a look at yourselves and at least admit perhaps you were wrong

What would happen if they take a look at themselves?

The have spent over a year building up their moral identity around the "fact" that Wei Phyo and Zaw Lin are innocent scapegoats, that they have been wrongfully accused of a crime and anyone who disagrees with that are evil people trying to get "the real killers" away with the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.

Time and time again they have piled up on anyone that didn't buy their narrative, if you didn't believe as they did you were protecting the real murders, a shill, a scumbag, etc, etc... Looking at themselves to see that they've been wrong all along, that they are the ones that have been protecting murderers and rapists and that they are the ones that have wrongfully accused people of horrible crimes?

Not going to happen, the emotional investment is too high for that, they need the two Burmese men to be innocent and they need a scapegoat (AKA "the real killers") to take away their sins, to make it all right, to justify all that they have said and done.

In short, recognizing the reality of the situation and looking back at themselves would reveal that they are what they've been hating all along.

So better to stick their fingers in their ears, repeat "it's all lies, it's all lies!" and run back into the safe space of their echo chamber were they are still the good guys fighting for a noble cause.

Edited December 25, 2015 by AleG

[Thaidream]

This case is far from over. It will wind its way up to the Thai Supreme Court. If the Appeals Court overturns the Prosecution will appeal and vice versa. Final verdict in about 8 years. My heart goes out the families and I understand their need for closure. Unfortunately, there are so many doubts still out there and a lack of any published credible evidence will keep the doubts active. There are several other cases in Thai history that cause many of us to believe the doubts. Google Sherry Duncan- this case has many similarities to the B2 case.

[khunsiam]

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.

Actually, regardless of what we on this thread might THINK, the family has had more access to evidence and police than any of us here. None of us on this thread have been in the courtroom.

While I've been of the opinion that they got the wrong guys, who are any of us here to say that the family is mistaken. They have followed this case much closer than ANY of us here.

The family also may have talked to Scotland Yard which had no authority to say or do anything in Thailand.

Something has caused the family to believe the two are guilty. I'm not privy to what that is.

Cheers.

People

believe in DNA testing..a good read: "The Surprisingly Imperfect Science of DNA Testing" How a proven tool may be anything but.http://stories.frontline.org/dna

Edited December 25, 2015 by khunsiam

[jacky54]

This whole closure thing is nonsense, an Americanism we only heard of a few years ago. The families will never get over it, but time helps lessen the pain, as does a guilty verdict, even though it's wrong.

[Bluespunk]

The families seem to be convinced of their guilt (BBC) and they attended the trial. They also, no doubt, had access to information not privy to the rest of us. I would refrain from jumping to conclusions and 'Thai bashing' to be honest. Let's see what happens at the inevitable appeal.

Whereas the BBC reporter, who also attended, seems to have grave doubts

[kiwikeith]

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

Millers Brother obviously knows nothing about Thailand or the mafia that control Koh Samui.

I was disgusted thast the prune stood up and read out loud his arogant statement.

I do not wish to criticise them but they uinfortunately deserve it.

I t is blatently obvious to those with only half a brain that this case is a massive shame on the Thai Justice system and them.

They have been mandy pandied by Thai authorities and possibly Brittish diplomats to not rock the boat.

I would like to thank them for helping handing out a Xmas death sentence to two innocent boys and their families.

How could the B2 show remorse if they are innocent, it is beyond belief that greaveing and blind single minded thinking seems to have blinded them into making this statement.

I am disgusted and shocked and hope that these two boys can get a decent defense for an appeal.

Shame on you Mr Miller.