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david miller and hannah witheridge

    david miller and hannah witheridge

    It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. When the bodies of British tourists 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found brutally murdered on the remote Thai island of Koh Tao, the police immediately concluded that the killer had to be a foreigner, as a Thai person couldn't be capable of such brutality. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. In September 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller only met by chance while backpacking on the island, but when their bodies were found together on Sairee Beach, they would become linked forever by a tragic mystery. Torture allegations aside, the proceedings have been peppered with oddities. As the investigation . According to reports, David and Hannah arrived separately on the island with their friends on August 25, 2014. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. [80][81], The Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, said "[foreign female tourists] think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like. According to Kingsley Abbott, Southeast Asia legal expert for the International Commission of Jurists, The defense must be afforded adequate time and facilities to explore whether the alleged destruction of evidence in this case was appropriate and unavoidable, and to test the prosecution case overall.. He added that they would if they are not beautiful., Prayuth soon backtracked on his remarks on travelers, saying, Sometimes I speak too strongly. But virtually his next breath again sought to assign blame: We have to help take care of [our nation], he said, and not let not-good people mingle with us, such as unregistered alien workers., Investigators had already steered their attention to migrant workers, via a friend of the deceased, and the son of a local headman, who were briefly considered as suspects. One of the three suspected individuals was identified as Mau Mau, a local living nearby. The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 22-year-old ethnic Rakhine from Burmas restive Arakan state, were arrested on Oct. 2. Mr Miller's family said they were "grateful" to the Thai king. Their senseless deaths sparked international outrage and raised questions about j Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. Miller, a year older and from Jersey, one of the U.K.'s Channel. His dad, Ian Miller, said, Its quite likely David was stepping in to assist a girl in trouble. The second man, Wai Phyo,[a] was believed to have left the island by boat the previous night. Junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha enraged many by hinting that the blame, at some level, lay with the attractive victims. [47][75][12] Human Rights Watch said the case was "profoundly disturbing" and called for the verdict to be reviewed in a "transparent and fair appeal process". Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Thailand backpacker murders: bar workers found guilty of killing British tourists, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. [42] In the trial, the prosecution said the phone was found smashed at the home of a friend of Zaw Lin's. The children always loved her. However, the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment following a royal decree commemorating King Vajiralongkorns birthday. In September 2014, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller only met by chance while backpacking on the island, but when their bodies were found together on Sairee Beach, they would become linked forever by a tragic mystery. 2145/2559, "Two British tourists found dead on Thai island of Koh Tao", "Suspects in Thai Tourist Murders Face Dubious Trial", "Manhunt underway after brutal murder of 2 British tourists on Koh Tao", "Thailand's paradise island murder mystery", "What the Murder of Two British Tourists Tells Us About Thailand's Dark Side", "Thailand's Supreme Court upholds death penalty for men convicted of murdering British backpackers", "Koh Tao DNA evidence & international standards", "Thai court upholds death penalty for murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death", "Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation", "Koh Tao murders: DNA matches, confessions obtained, crime re-enacted", "Hearings Open Into Killings of Two British Tourists on Thai Island (Published 2014)", "Thai king commutes death sentence for Myanmar men in British tourist murder case", "Burmese men confess to killing British tourists on Koh Tao, Thai police say", "The Investigation Into Thailand's Backpacker Slayings Is Officially a Farce", "Migrants accused of murder of British couple in Thailand recant confessions", "Thai Dictator Faces Ire Over Murder Probe", "Koh Tao murder suspects plead not guilty", "Burmese pair to be executed for murder of British tourists on Koh Tao, Thailand", "2 Sentenced to Death in Killing of British Tourists in Thailand (Published 2015)", "Thailand murders: Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings", "Thai beach murders: Convicted men lose death sentence appeal", "Thai beach murders: Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court", "Backpacker's family 'grateful' for Thai king's clemency", "Koh Tao pair claim they were tortured before confessing", "Thai beach murders: DNA investigation into death of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller 'incompetent at best', "Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed", "Koh Tao's dark side: dangers of island where Britons were murdered", "Thai Paradise Gains Reputation as 'Death Island', "Foreign Office calls in Thai diplomat over murder inquiry concerns", "Thailand murder suspects can't have British police report: UK judge", "Thai officials on alert as Myanmar protests spread", "Prayut lashes out at Myanmar Koh Tao protestors", "Thailand's Migrant Worker Woes Exposed in Koh Tao Murder Case", "Govt vows "high-tech" defence against hackers", "Island killings prompt stiffer worker rules", "Contesting narratives: the Koh Tao tourists murders", "Unofficial translation of Koh Samui Provincial Court No. [79] Rumours began to circulate, with residents on the island saying the island is controlled by a mafia who "have information about the true culprits", and claimed that the police is covering for them. Nice and strong, grins the heavily tattooed barman. Witheridge is a native of Great Yarmouth in the Southwest coast of England. Of the 25 million foreign visitors who touch down in Thailand each year, half a million grace Koh Tao, the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Thai Gulf. Despite so many alleged loopholes in the investigation procedure, the court found Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo guilty of murder and sentenced them to death on December 24, 2015. "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.". Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby, Norfolk and Mr Miller, a civil and . However, the erstwhile national police chief denied the allegations of torture, although the police refused to cooperate with representatives of Thailands National Human Rights Commission attempting to investigate the serious allegations. Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. With no leads or suspects, the police wildly speculated who the culprit might be as they alleged several individuals to be the supposed killer without any evidence. Lin and Phyo (also known asWin Zaw Htun)were sentenced to death for the murder of Mr Miller and the murder and rape of Ms Witheridge. They were seen buying beer and cigarettes before taking a shortcut route to Sairee Beach. However, a lawyer for Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo told the BBC that the pair had not admitted their guilt when their death sentences were commuted. The family travelled to see parts of the subsequent trial of the two young Burmese migrant workers accused of the murders, partly paid for by a crowdfunding appeal set up to cover the costs of travel and translation at the hearings. [21][73], The death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 2020 following a royal decree to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday and "illustrate the king's clemency". [46] The police then forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media,[34] a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. Miller, a year older and from Jersey, also suffered blows to the head and left to drown in the shallow surf. I think my lasting memory of him will be his smile, wonderful sense of humor, and ability to put his ideas across with conviction and thoughtfulness. David, then 24, had recently graduated in civil and structural engineering from the University of Leeds and planned onstarting a masters degree. He was interrogated and captured while his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. He was returning from a placement in Australia when he stopped in Thailand for a holiday with a friend. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. funny ways to say home run grassroots elite basketball Menu . The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. And right in the foreground, rising proudly from sliver sands, protrude a scattering of granite boulders, a furtive relic of this tranquil 21-sq-km (8 sq. [42][43] The police said the suspects' DNA matched a sample of semen taken from Witheridge's body, and to the hoe and cigarette butts found near the body. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. There are no official figures for the number of expats who call Thailand home, but it likely runs into the hundreds of thousands. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. [30] Thailand's National Human Rights Commission said "the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the two Myanmar workers were dubious, leading to impressions the suspects were not aware of their rights and that justice had not been done". Millers family also expressed confidence in the Thai judicial process, saying the evidence against the defendants seemed powerful and convincing. Mau Mau claimed he left on his motorcycle and returned home later to find his co-riders asleep. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. 2040 / 2557, Regional Court of Appeal VIII No. According to reports, the investigators had allegedly left them unclothed in freezing rooms and threatened to electrocute them. Police obtained CCTV footage from local bars and restaurants and zeroed in on three men riding a motorcycle to 7-Eleven on the night of the murder. Sean McAnna (25), from Shotts near Glasgow, was a friend of David Miller, the tourist whose body was found last week on Koh Tao island along with that of Hannah Witheridge. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. [7] Witheridge had completed undergraduate studies in education at the University of East Anglia and had started post-graduate studies in speech and language therapy at the University of Essex. Nevertheless, few have rallied to the defense of the accused. The investigators raided Mau Maus home on October 2 and arrested one of the men named Zaw Lin. More recently, a court order to allow Dr. Pornthip to review the DNA evidence was rescinded. 2040 / 2557", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koh_Tao_murders&oldid=1150069590, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 05:03. They had only been in the country for days before they were murdered. [3] The murders were the first cases of homicide on the island in over eight years. ITV reports that the suspect may be a friend of either Witheridge or Miller. And the shambolic investigation also didnt help.. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Dabid had also suffered deep lacerations to his skull before drowning in the shallow surf. . Forensic evidence is processed independently in the U.S. or U.K. and many other jurisdictions around the world, safeguarding a proper chain of custody. Even though recent quasi-democratic reforms have seen an influx of tourist dollars and the rolling back of sanctions, that means little for the nations rural poor. Will [tourists] survive in Thailand if they dress in bikinis? he asked Sept. 17. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Wai was also convicted of theft and pled guilty to entering the country illegally, while Zaw was not charged since he held a work permitfor the two years preceding the murders. [47] Thailand's National Human Rights Commission attempted to investigate the allegations, but police representatives did not appear at four scheduled meetings. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a master's degree. Typically, they work seven days a week for a pittance, sleeping in bamboo shacks erected in jungle clearances. David Miller is from the island of Jersey in the English channel between the United Kingdom and France. Gruesome photos of the bloodied corpses circulated online, either leaked by officials or even taken by passersby. [39] Following an interrogation, during which police say Zaw Lin admitted he had entered the country illegally, Zaw Lin was arrested and his clothes and motorcycle were seized as evidence. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. [1][96], Although tourist arrivals to Koh Tao dropped in the months immediately following the murders, there was little lasting effect on tourism to the island.[92]. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. The 24-year-olds parents, Ian and Susan, and his brother also travelled to Koh Tao to see the spot where the pair were killed, leaving mementos including a copy of a program for Millers funeral service, where mourners also wore colourful clothes, and his body was carried in a coffin covered in sunflowers. [1][11][18] A bloody hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, and a wooden club were found near the bodies,[19][4][14] along with three cigarette butts and a used condom. There was so much he could be doing with his life, and having it cut short is unbelievably cruel. These rocks are no strangers to explosive secrets. However, Zaw and Wai retracted their confession after they were allowed legal counsel, with a consulate lawyer for Myanmar alleging their clients had been beaten, tortured, and threatened to make the admissions necessary to close the widely publicized case. They stated they were driven by a desire to rape the victim following sexual arousal when they saw the couple kissing on the beach. [15], Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo retracted their statements following a visit from a consular lawyer for Myanmar and said they had made their statements under duress, after they had allegedly been beaten, left naked in a freezing room, and threatened with electrocution and an extrajudicial killing. Witheridge and Miller are the two British tourists who were found dead after being chopped up on a Thailand beach. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". In December 2015, the pair were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. [10], Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August. Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were convicted of the . Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. That would be absolutely in his character.. On July 10, the bench again ordered the DNA to be retested, only for the police to reveal that certain key samples specifically those retrieved from the victims bodies had been used up. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5am, a few hours after their deaths. After finally receiving independent legal counsel, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, who had no prior criminal records, claimed they had been tortured during interrogation and recanted. According to reports, Davids family welcomed the commutation of the sentence. You have reached your limit of free articles. Their senseless deaths sparked international outrage and raised questions about justice on Koh Tao. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel, and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. Home; Service. [29][30] The police initially speculated about who the culprit might be, alleging various individuals of perpetrating the crime without clear evidence. On Sept. 15, one of the occupants of that same room A5, Hannah Witheridge, was found bludgeoned to death in their midst alongside fellow British tourist David Miller, just a short stumble from her door. A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. Thailands National Human Rights Commission investigated these allegations, but progress has been glacial, not least because police representatives failed to turn up to four arranged meetings. The DNA analysis in the case, which was not subject to independent oversight or verification, was provided to the court as a one-page summary with four supporting pages, some of it handwritten with amendments. According to reports, the bodies were partially clothed, and the officers also located three cigarette butts and a used condom nearby. But in Thailand, the police perform the entire process. The police were under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. (modern). The two men were convicted and sentenced in 2015 and the verdict was upheld by an appeals court in 2017 and the Supreme Court in August 2019. [26][27] However, her clothes were not tested for DNA. [1][51] According to an observer, the sittings lasted over ten hours each day. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. Post-mortems found that Hannah had died from head wounds, while engineering student Mr Miller suffered severe blows to his head and drowned.

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