GUILTY Thailand - David Miller, 24, & Hannah Witheridge, 23, Koh Tao, 15 Sep 2014

[Legally Bland]

Two men given the death penalty for killing two British backpackers in Thailand have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014.

Burmese nationals Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were convicted in a Thai court and sentenced to death in December 2015.

Thai king commutes sentence of UK pair’s killers

 

[CoverMeCagney]

In light of the death sentence being scrapped in lieu of life imprisonment, David's parents issued this statement:

"We are grateful to His Majesty the King of Thailand for showing his clemency to the murderers of our son David. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo finally admitted to the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge and the murder of our son. The final admittance of their guilt has allowed this act of clemency to become possible"

Backpacker's family welcomes Thai king's clemency

I'm still not 100% convinced.

 

[Alyce]

Me neither Cags

 

[Kikixxxx]

they admitted it? i thought they were still denying it?

 

[CoverMeCagney]

they admitted it? i thought they were still denying it?

Sounds like a plea deal to me.

 

[Waller]

The family welcomes King's clemency....wow...so smart...

 

[Waller]

Sounds like a plea deal to me.

Sounds like unjustice to me

 

[Waller]

24/10/19
Mothers of Myanmar pair facing death over Brit murders beg for clemency - France 24
"The mothers of two Myanmar men sentenced to death for the murder of a pair of British backpackers in Thailand submitted a plea for clemency from the Thai king Thursday, in a case tainted by claims of irregularities.

Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were sentenced to death by Thai courts for the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and the killing of David Miller, 24."

"Defence lawyers have said the evidence used to convict the two men were unreliable as authorities had mishandled DNA and did not allow independent analysis of the samples.

They also say confessions by the pair were obtained under duress.

Defence appeals were exhausted in August and a royal pardon or commutation of the death sentence by the Thai king is the last chance of a reprieve.

"We are not challenging the judgement. 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."

"the opportunity to do something good with their lives"
I really love good sense of humour....

 

[jslk]

There's a new series on deaths on Ko Tao on Sky Crime, has anyone watched it? I'm stuck at home with Covid so binged it.

 

[LolaAngelina]

There's a new series on deaths on Ko Tao on Sky Crime, has anyone watched it? I'm stuck at home with Covid so binged it.

I’m just watching it now and came to this thread to see if there was an update for those 2 men. I really don’t think they had anything to do with it. The DNA should have been thrown out due to improper handling (a beer box??)