Hannah Witheridge & David Miller. I should add that I was not representing the accused men so I am not presenting arguments on their behalf in any lawyer/client relationship. Home Office pathologist Dr Nat Cary said Miss Witheridge had died from severe head injuries, consistent with multiple blows from the blade of a hoe wielded as a weapon and it was likely she would have died 'rapidly'. [92], Thailand's government became concerned the murders may affect tourism to the country. I'm asking if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? They had been bludgeoned to death. Can they be safe in bikinis unless they are not beautiful?. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. They were arrested and tried and identified by Till's uncle. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. It was just straight up sped that killed her. David Miller 2014; "Life is too important to take seriously.". A mix of clouds and sun. 48 TheVeneficus 5 yr. ago [5][40] The commutation was welcomed by Miller's family. Two Ukrainian women look back at one year of war, Why you shouldn't go into TikTok's "monk mode", Pictures of Thai murder victim Hannah Witheridge's body circulate on the Internet, Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. [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. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Can dementia be spotted in CHILDHOOD? They say traces of at least one man's DNA has been found on Miss Witheridge's body. However, at that time I was already aware of other tourist deaths on the island. The worst part is her face. After you reached Thailand and began your job I am certain that you would have explored Thailand and realized that what you saw in the streets and other parts of Thailand matches what was mentioned in the . 'Since Hannah was taken from us, I am continually asked whether I will warn the world about the dangers of Thailand,' she wrote on Facebook in 2016. BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher said Miss Witheridge's father and brother sat with their heads bowed as the evidence was presented in court but continued listening. An English human rights activist by the name of Andy Hall asked me to put him in touch with the Melbourne forensic expert, Jane Taupin which I did. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. She was dedicated, ambitious and would have made an amazing difference to the lives of many families through her chosen career as a Speech and Language Therapist. All rights reserved. Anthony Cardullo 2013 (USA); [38] Both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. High 62F. Most mainstream media provide only superficial accounts of what has been happening on the island and their published information is often inaccurate and understated the seriousness of the situation. Thailand's prime minister today apologised for suggesting tourists in bikinis made themselves more vulnerable - comments which provoked outrage around the world. by potty Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:47 am, Post Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images. Due to the nature of her passing, our beautiful girl has had little privacy. Valentina Novozhenova 2017; Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun were quickly arrested and later sentenced to death in 2015, a verdict that was upheld by the appeal court in 2017. He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. The family said a funeral on Friday would be a private party to celebrate her life. [31][65] Jane Taupin, an Australian forensic scientist brought in by the defence, claimed that the timeline of DNA extraction was dubious; a rapid analysis of DNA samples had happened in less than 12 hours,[34] which she said was unusual because "extracting DNA from mixed samples was difficult and time-consuming". Here, a breakdown of the investigation shows how the frantic hunt for backpackers' killers has unfolded. ", Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. [48], The guilty verdict resulted in widespread protests in Myanmar. But Ms Daniels criticised the 'bungled' police investigation into the murders in a Facebook post in January 2016. After the discovery of the British tourists' bodies on a beach on Koh Tao, police said Hannah, from Norfolk, had been raped and bludgeoned to death while David, from Jersey, had suffered blows to his head. [4], The victims of the murders were Hannah Witheridge, a 23-year-old from Hemsby, England, and David Miller, a 24-year-old from Jersey, a Crown Dependency. The images shown to the court were graphic, reports Jonah Fisher in Thailand. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. Mrs Witheridge paid tribute to her daughter, saying: 'She was a beautiful and fun loving woman who filled the room with love and happiness just by being there.'. oof. [66], On 24 December 2015, Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were found guilty of murdering Witheridge and Miller by the three judges, and were sentenced to death. Earlier Thai Prime Minister said it girls wearing bikinis on the holiday island of Koh Tao were not safe unless they were ugly. The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK. DeSantis won't say he's running. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. While collecting forensic evidence, tourists and locals were allowed to walk on the beach. September 15: The semi-naked bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller are discovered between 5am and 6am on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao on September 15. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. But they were found innocent by an all white jury. [31] They focused on foreign nationals, with a spokesperson for the police claiming "Thais wouldn't do this". Last month, the tragic revelation that backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk and David Miller, 24, from Jersey had been murdered on the holiday island of Koh Tao shook the world. If you are interested, I have further information on my social media accounts. Absolutely brutal murder but I think they have the wrong people. After searching, All rights reserved. The men's legal team said it would seek a royal pardon within 60 days, as provided in Thai law. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Really gross. They had been brutally beaten to death just a few feet away from their hotel rooms. Ben Harrington 2012; Their findings were never made public, but were shared with the families of the victims. [14][22] The police moved the bodies to prevent them being swept up in the rising tide. I have created a Facebook page and a YouTube channel dedicated to looking into tourist deaths on Koh Tao. This could technically be counted as a crime scene as she was DUI but the aftermath of Nikki Catsouras (Porsche girl) crash is engrained on my brain forever. by potty Thu Oct 09, 2014 1:08 am, Post [7][12], Miller and Witheridge were last seen at a bar called AC Bar[13] with friends at a party on Sunday night with around 50 people mostly foreign tourists before they left together after 1am. [49] Wai Phyo was also charged with stealing Miller's phone. The trial provided an obvious example of Scientific Fraud being used to convict two scapegoats. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere. From the beginning, the Thai police had difficulty securing the crime scene. Police say it could be of a witness to the double murder, a suspect or of Miss Witheridge herself. Christopher and James Ware were stopped at Suvarnabhumi International airport on their way back to Britain for questioning. [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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. had been axed by ITV following his recent comments about Meghan Markle, France double Cheltenham Stayers' Hurdle challenge inspired by all-time great Baracouda, Henri Le Farceur will be supplemented for the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. September 18: Police claim DNA from two men alongside that of Miss Witheridge has been discovered on a cigarette butt 50 yards from where the 23-year-old's body was found. Those images are shocking because Till is barely recognizable as a human. Attempts to appeal the sentence failed, but a royal decree was issued by King Vajiralongkorn in 2020 commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment. Thailand is Cambodia's neighbor to the West, and this forum is dedicated to Thai news, stories, reviews, blogs, videos, Thai people and anything else related to the country. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He announced that he had "ordered all security-related agencies to track down those who are behind the Myanmar demonstrations". [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements. There were TRACES of cocaine, but that didnt contributeit was a small amount from a day or more before. job, Jeremy Clarkson has broken his silence following claims Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 'Can they be safe in bikinis unless they are not beautiful?' 2023 BBC. What's he waiting for? [4][11][14] Their bodies were discovered on Sairee Beach a few hours later, between 4 and 5am, by a mute Burmese beach cleaner. The court heard he set up a fake Twitter profile in Hannah's name which Laura described as 'cruel, completely inaccurate and callous.'. . "[56] Attempts to appeal the sentence to the High Court in 2017 were unsuccessful. [11][19] Several other suspects were also named, amid pressure to produce results, a new one every other day. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found on a Koh Tao beach. The last pictures - on night backpackers beaten to death: New CCTV revealed as Thai police investigate copycat killing theory. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35. [90][91], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". 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