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

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Here is a video of Sondhi Limthongul (Thai Media mogul and politician) giving his opinion on the Koh Tao murder case.......I like the way he gives an ironic laugh when he says "General Jaktip was sure the Burmese were the right suspects, because he believed the information he was told by local police was true." (about 2.20 in clip)

[video=youtube;peaD7E6cUso]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peaD7E6cUso"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peaD7E6cUso[/video]
 
I don't think it is very plausable that Hannah was shot, but I'm basing that on the crime scene itself as I don't have knowledge of gun shot wounds.

I would expect that if there was a gun involved it would have been pointed at David, not Hannah, to stop him preventing her rape. If two guns were used (one to threaten David and the other to threaten Hannah), one could have gone off accidentally during or after the rape. It makes more sense that the rapes occured before the head injuries and that David was incapacitated before the attack on Hannah took place (unless there were more attackers). So, they could have stabbed David in order to attack Hannah and then shot Hannah after. I can't see why they'd bother retrieving the bullet, unless it was registered to them. I don't have much knowledge at all on gunshot wounds, but I really doubt there'd be a bullet to remove as such. There'd be many fragments to do such damage. Is it right that most guns carried on the island are hand guns? Would a handgun really have done such damage? I would expect something far more substantial. That would make it less plausable that someone would just happen to be carrying it around with them and it wasn't witnessed or captured on CCTV.

Sorry for the late night ramble (it's 5am here, bed time). This case just bothers me so much. The level of violence makes it so terrifying that guilty men could escape justice, or innocent men may face the ultimate punishment for something they didn't do. I can't understand how their families are coping in any way, shape or form.

I think only the British autopsy carried out on Hannah could confirm whether or not she had been shot. Yes, bullets most certainly can be traced back to the gun that fired them by ballistics experts. Sorry to be so graphic but the major damage to Hannah's face was caused by the hoe. However, some experts have detected what looks like gunshot wounds from the horrific photos. The theory is that hoe may have been used to hide the evidence of a gunshot wound. In this case it would have been a handgun, which may have gone off accidentally. It is also believed the crime scene was deliberately staged to make it look as if David and Hannah were engaged in sexual activity. This is what the Thai authorities are claiming but all evidence suggests that this was not true. Hannah was most certainly attacked first and David stumbled upon the attack and tried to help her.

One thing is for sure and that is more than 2 people carried out these attacks.
 
This trial is unbelievable !!......

"Police failed to check CCTV images of a boat leaving a beach close to where two British backpackers were found murdered, a Thai court has heard."
"The court in Koh Samui heard that the senior investigating police chief and his officers did not believe the killer would have taken that boat, which left an hour or so after the estimated time of death of the pair.
"We have the footage, but we never checked it," Police Colonel Cherdpong said."

"The alleged murder weapon - a wooden garden hoe - was never extensively forensically tested.

The court was told officers had inspected it with a magnifying glass but deemed there were no viable fingerprints on it, and no DNA evidence to collect."

"But on Thursday the defence team pointed out that the two suspects were not wearing the same clothes as the alleged suspects caught on camera, allegedly running from the scene.

Police Colonel Cherdpong said he did not see that as relevant."

http://news.sky.com/story/1523975/police-never-checked-cctv-after-britons-killed
 
Defence case begins
Andy Hall
Day 14 Koh Tao trial starts 10am. Zaw Lin accused 1 takes stand explain publicly what he was doing 14/15 Sept & experience of arrest 2nd Oct. https://twitter.com/atomicalandy

More info - This week Ko Zaw Lin and Ko Wai Phyo will take the stand in a court on the Thai island of Koh Samui.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/in...to-take-the-stand-as-defence-case-begins.html

Is there a reason that this hasn't been moved to the Current Trials section? The trial commenced July 8, 2015.
 
Wow, thank goodness for DNA, imo.
Thanks for the link, imjustagirl!
"A forensics expert says DNA found on the garden hoe allegedly used to kill two British backpackers in Thailand does not match the suspects."

That means nothing where Thai justice is concerned.
 
Today my thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of David and Hannah. I cannot begin to imagine their pain. Rest in Peace Hannah and David.

Washington Post article - http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...y-tropical-island/?postshare=5391442327496335

Edit - Forgot to add - Some info in this article is incorrect. They were not vacationing together and had just met. No one knows if they attended a party together or even if there was an all night party. There are other mistakes but I imagine the author used translations from Thai to English which leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Defense phase - Murder trial continues - defense witnesses on DNA, crime scene investigation and torture wounds. Looks like David and Hannah put up quite the fight according to this article both their DNA was on the hoe handle. Perhaps Hannah initially picked up the hoe to defend herself. None of this was shown in the farcical re-enactment. :thinking:

Burmese men defence lawyers challenge Thai police to revise murder theory after victims’ DNA found on murder weapon -

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/burmese_men_defence_lawyers_challenge_thai_police_to_revise_murder_theory_after_victims_dna_found_on_murder_weapon_1_4242304?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

The last four days of the Koh Tao murder trial -

http://www.samuitimes.com/the-last-four-days-of-the-koh-tao-murder-trial/

Andy Hall -

https://twitter.com/atomicalandy
 
Koh Tao police report ‘inconclusive and unreliable': Andy Hall

“It was a great opportunity to raise doubts about the prosecutions case. I raised significant doubts on the validity of the Thai autopsy report. The person running on the CCTV footage, which is one of the crucial parts of evidence for the prosecution, is not the defendant [Win Zaw Htun], according to the gait analysis by a UK expert.

“There were substantial differences between the Thai autopsy report, and the British autopsy report,” said Andy Hall.

https://www.dvb.no/news/thai-report-shoddy-and-unreliable-andy-hall-burma-myanar/57553

Thai media reporting that the UK Autopsy report showed that there was no evidence rape. No English version as of yet. The whole case against Zaw Linn and Win Zaw Htun has been based on the rape.
 
It is all just totally ridiculous. Seems clear to me that everyone on Ko Tao knows exactly who did this. Why can't that man be forced to give DNA to rule himself out. Well, we all know why. Isn't Interpol an international police force, why can't they help? I just don't geddit...

Whathisname (Scottish lad who had to flee) was most likely telling the truth. Sorry, the details are hazy now as it was a year ago. This whole trial just reeks. The Burmese will get off free, the Thai's will make out the case collapsed on a technicality and won't investigate further, and the Brits know what really happened but can't do anything about it.
 
Final two days of trial. Two of the judges have been replaced...which is apparently normal in Thailand.

Thailand really underestimates the impact the injustice of this farce of a trial is going to have on it's tourism industry never mind how the rest of the world views the blatant in your face corruption that takes place there. An incredible amount of people have had an insight into how this country runs and not only the court system. It's as though unruly children run the show. People that never thought of Thailand other than a beautiful holiday destination are paying attention now.

If Thailand wants to be taken seriously and play on the world stage they have to understand that they can't become a first world country by playing by third world rules.

All one can do is hope...for all involved...that justice is served.

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"The trial was extended by two days to allow for the testimony from the defendants. However two of the three judges who had been present for the previous 19 days of the trial were replaced in court by two new judges".

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/man_accused_of_murdering_norfolk_student_hannah_witheridge_claims_he_was_beaten_and_threatened_by_thai_police_1_4266487?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it
 

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