You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. "We hope that these two murderers will now spend a very, very long time in jail where they cannot harm other families and will have time to reflect on the consequences of their acts.". It was not immediately clear how many prisoners could receive pardons or reduced sentences based on the different criteria listed in the decree. To use auto build you need to . student Backpacker Hannah Witheridge was found dead in Thailand was raped by two men, while the other was followed before she was killed on September 15, 2014, Ko Tao, Ko Tao, Thailand. TWO men found guilty of murdering a pair of British backpackers in Thailand will be executed after their appeals were thrown out by the courts today. But nobody familiar with Thailands feeble justice system is surprised by that. The decree released Friday said the royal pardons were granted to mark the kings birthday on July 28 and to illustrate the kings clemency.. British tourists David Miller, 24, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, seen here, were killed with a garden tool after a beach party early Sept. 15, 2014 in Thailand. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The University of Essex student and her male compatriot David Miller, formerly of University of Leeds, were subsequently murdered. Llam demasiado la atencin? If you have already listened to the episode, you can submit your rating at the Casefile Ratings Form. Accused of murdering British tourists, Myanmar men Zaw Lin (right) and Win Zaw Htun have withdrawn their confession, that they now say was extracted through torture. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. Both were found. So sad to hear that young man murdered in Thailand was Jerseyman David Miller. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered on a Thai island in 2014 The legal team defending the two men also said the evidence collected by police was unreliable and not in accordance with internationally accepted standards. Really surprised me since he usually goes to great lenghts get it right, however butchered this one that should have been "easy". It's one thing to say they never expressed suicidal thoughts previously but even in this episode the one parent said something like "they didnt express any suicidal thoughts in the last conversation I had with them" which is normal for people that end up committing suicide. Privacy Policy. He made it seem important then it was dropped. It would be "a place where Dave's spirit and love of life may be with you". Read about our approach to external linking. Please try again later. Sexual assault and rape, much of it unreported, bedevil Koh Phangans world famous full-moon parties. Basically, Myanmar shares a border with Thailand and is considerably lower on the economic development index so a lot of labour, both legal and illegal, is done by Myanmar people inside Thailand. He didnt mention the fact that eight days after the killing of Witheridge and Miller, not a single suspect has been identified or remains in custody. I doubt we'll ever know the truth. Hannah Witheridge pictured on Facebook back in September 2013. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The government has lowered its forecast for tourist arrivals this year to 25.9 million, down from an initial target of 28 million. A rusty hoe, its blade broken and caked in gore, lay nearby. Lawyers for the two men had claimed evidence used in the case against them was mishandled and they made confessions under duress that they later retracted, raising questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand. Witheridge and Miller are the two British tourists who were found dead after being chopped up on a Thailand beach. Mr Miller was found four metres away, face up, with a blow to the head and water in his lungs. I here to deliver the same warning. Hannah & David: Directed by John Barnard. We are not challenging judgment. David Miller is from the island of Jersey in the English channel between the United Kingdom and France. The two Myanmar nationals are charged with murder (of both tourists), gang rape (of Witheridge) and stealing, Prachum Ruangthong, police chief of neighbouring Koh Phangan island, told AFP. Thai king commutes sentence of UK pairs killers, Historic ocean treaty agreed after decade of talks, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. A bloodstained garden hoe, which is thought to be the murder weapon, was discovered nearby, AFP reported. Nor did his department fully test the alleged murder weapon. "This tree was another tower of Jersey strength brought crashing down before its time," they said. Two Burmese migrants who were convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment in 2020. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, didn't know each other before they met on holiday in Thailand in September. POLICE have finally made a breakthrough in the shocking murders of two British backpackers in Thailand, but mystery still surrounds the horrific discovery. Last month, a court on Koh Samui - 64 kilometres from Koh Tao - ordered that the remaining forensic evidence in the case be sent for re-examination. Were working to restore it. We have to look into the behavior of the other party [Witheridge and Miller] too, he said. Two Burmese men are on trial for their murders. Next, suspicion turned to a pair of Thai men that Sean McAnna, a 25-year-old Scottish friend of Millers, claims to have witnessed molesting Witheridge on the night before she was killed an altercation from which she was apparently rescued by Miller. The popular holiday spot has been dubbed 'death island' after a string of tourists died in shocking circumstances while holidaying there. Since then, the case has perplexed police, devastated their families, and damaged the countrys tourism industry. With tourism critical to Thailand's economy, police. The spotlight fell on British tourist Christopher Alan Ware, who shared a room with Miller, with police hinting at a crime of passion. Ware was arrested at Bangkoks main airport with his brother James. Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. "She would have gone on to make a significant difference to the lives of many people.". The killings roiled Koh Tao, a 2000-hectare island buoyed by tourism. RIP, Christian May (@christianrmay) September 15, 2014. They lost their appeal in 2017. They both decide to take a backpacking trip to Thailand before pursuing Master's Degrees in their respective fields. T he brutal murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao, has reverberated around the world. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? In a heartfelt statement read out by the coroner, her husband Lewis Daniels said: 'Laura was an incredible young lady who had so much desire to continue making the most of her life whilst having to deal with adversity very few people across the world will ever have to experience.'. --- Nar The sister of a British backpacker murdered in Thailand died in a 'double tragedy' while nine weeks pregnant, an inquest has heard. Cookie Notice Or, for the IPA-inclined, '/k/ /taw/'. The two Myanmar men, in helmets and handcuffs, charged in the killings, were made to take part in a re-enactment of the crime.Credit:Reuters. According to the BBC, staff from the British embassy left for Koh Tao soon after the news broke of the murders. We are confident that these people will be caught now or later.. Not to defend the police on Koh Tao, but they arent even a real police station just a outpost. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in Thailand in 2014 Aug 17, 2020 Rex The two Burmese men who were jailed for killing British backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, in. Koh Tao is actually pronounced 'kaw? We urge anyone who can help these investigations to please assist the Royal Thai Police in solving these murders and bringing the culprits to justice. . Myanmar men withdrew their first confessions to the crimes, saying that they were tortured by the police. Burmese migrant workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, also known as Win Zaw Htun, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death in December 2015. "They were a really pitiful sight. "We have the footage, but we never checked it," Police Colonel Cherdpong Chiewpreecha admitted in court, drawing gasps from those in attendance, Sky News reported. Read about our approach to external linking. 'Hannah was gripping blond hair before she died' - claim (but perhaps not as dramatic as it sounds) Murder victim David Miller likely struggled with his attacker in the sea off the Thai holiday island of Koh Tao before being hacked to death. Two weeks ago, Hannah Witheridge was raped. HARROWING photos of the corpses of English backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have surfaced online, traumatising their families. The two workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, were sentenced to death for the murder of David Miller and the murder and rape of Hannah Witheridge, whose bodies were discovered on a beach on the popular tourist island of Koh Tao in September 2014. The vast majority of them have safe and enjoyable holidays, but a few are not so lucky. But there were also fears the. Not sure how I feel about the guilt of the 2 people charged. He knew enough to pronounce the initial 'v' in the common English spelling of his name (Vajiralongkorn) as a 'w', but then he pronounced the 'j' as a Spanish 'h' (it's actually 'ch'). The convictions were mired in a controversy with supporters of the two men who argued that they had been indicted and that they had initially confessed to the crimes under duress. , updated Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found dead on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September last year. The families of two British tourists murdered in Thailand have spoken of their "torturous pain" and "destroyed lives" one year on from the deaths. The murders of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, occurred in the early hours of the morning after they left AC Bar. Around three weeks ago, on September 15, their bodies were found together on a beach on Koh Tao island. We are saying that by giving them the death penalty, they will lose the opportunity to do something good with their lives, lawyer Nadthasiri Bergman said at the time. The two suspects, identified only as "Saw" and "Win," appeared at a news conference this week where the Thailand police commissioner said that DNA samples from . Two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death in Thailand for the murder of two British backpackers had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment, their lawyer said. The final photo of the pair looking happy and carefree, the couple appear to be with a large group of friends, enjoying their evening with drinks at a bar called Choppers. In March 2015 Russian touristValentina Novozhyonova, 23,vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in mid-February - sparking a police search. A baby girl has died in tragic circumstances on a family holiday, after ingesting drugs her parents believe were left out in an Airbnb. "The second roti seller has been on the stand and it's become very clear that he does not have much of grasp of Thai at all so we don't understand how he could have translated for police," Andy Hall, a British migrant rights advocate who is assisting the defence, told the newspaper. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The problem is all the distractions, Quaglia tells TIME. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. If you would like to rate cases 1-199, please do so at this Casefile Ratings Form (1-199). Pictures of killed British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge and a message of support to their friends and families are displayed during special prayers at Koh Tao island on Sept. 18, 2014, Thailand's Increasingly Strange Strongman, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. The men have been charged with the murder of both Britons -- a charge which carries the death penalty. In a separate address, for which he has since apologized, he said that tourists think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere. The general even suggested that the only tourists who should feel safe in bikinis were those who were not beautiful.. They lost an appeal in 2017. Lt Gen Panya, appointed assistant national police chief earlier this week authorities had arrested three immigrant migrant workers. Thais wouldnt do this pronounced a leading policeman, and officers started rounding up Burmese laborers for interrogation and DNA tests. A final picture of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller taken just hours before they were brutally murdered. The collection, transport, testing, analysis, reporting and storage of forensic or DNA evidence used in the Koh Tao murder case did not meet international standards, said Andy Hall, a legal counsel for the families. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Today it emerged that two men had confessed to killing the pair. POLICE have finally made a breakthrough in investigating the shocking murders of two British backpackers whose battered bodies were found last month on a beach in southern Thailand, but mystery still surrounds the horrific discovery. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. "I'm not worried [about high public expectations] because I know how much the probe has been progressing. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015, after being found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, of Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, of Norfolk. International legal and forensic scientists said in 2016 that the DNA investigation by the Thai Police Forensics Laboratory was incompetent with no chain of evidence.