According to reports, both men were 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar, who worked in the hospitality industry. Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk and David Miller, 24, of Jersey were bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel room late at night. [51] The defence provided a separate explanation for the events on the night. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. [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. [51][56][57] They argued that the defendants, since they were vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. The episode tries to deconstruct the complex case for the listeners as it narrates the incidents chronologically and questions several alleged incompetencies in the murder probe. The crimes brutality amid Koh Taos insular, backpacker charm caused an international sensation and threatened to further weaken a tourist industry already reeling from the military coup of May 22, 2014, which saw hundreds arbitrarily detained and draconian new controls imposed on freedom of speech and assembly. David Miller, 24, from Jersey, was found murdered alongside Hannah . They partied together, with the couple last seen together at a local bar called AC Bar with friends on September 14. [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". A royal decree said the sentences had been reviewed to commemorate King Vajiralongkorn's birthday on 28 July and to "illustrate the king's clemency". 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. "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.". The hoe was then used to knock Witheridge unconscious, after which the defendants used force to hold her down and took turns raping her, before killing her with the hoe. Both entered through the Ranong Province, allegedly without presenting themselves at a port of entry and without possessing a passport. ITV reports that the suspect may be a friend of either Witheridge or Miller. The family said it had brought to a close a "lengthy and disturbing period" where activists on social media had attempted to influence justice in Thailand and public opinion elsewhere. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. Powered by. The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao in 2014. He hailed fromJersey, a Crown Dependency, and graduated from Victoria College in 2008. Human-rights groups expressed serious concerns. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. The murders of Witheridge and Miller sent shock waves through Thailand. Then, most stupidly, the two suspects suddenly "admitted" to the crime, after having been found with bruises. Miller had been a student at Victoria College, a fee-paying school on Jersey. The investigators raided Mau Maus home on October 2 and arrested one of the men named Zaw Lin. The brutality of the incident shook the islands and its tourists and residents as the investigators began their probe under immense media and political pressure. He was found hiding on the boat later on 2 October. "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. The two young tourists were killed in the early hours of 15 September, 2014, after which their relatives endured a long wait for justice. The island is known as a haven for scuba divers. But generally they lose their lives through traffic accidents, overdoses and suicides. [76], The International Commission of Jurists said "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." Witheridge is a native of Great Yarmouth in the Southwest coast of England. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. Greg Shepherd, 34, from Luton in the U.K., tells TIME he witnessed a man getting shot in the face in a bar north of Sairee Beach in the mid-2000s. [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. His former headteacher described him as a bright young man and a talented artist, with real potential to forge a worthwhile and fruitful path in his life. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. [52] The suspects were defended pro bono by two lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand. Around three weeks ago, on September 15, their bodies were found together . Millers family also expressed confidence in the Thai judicial process, saying the evidence against the defendants seemed powerful and convincing. They still maintain their innocence, as they did throughout the trial. Mau Mau claimed he left on his motorcycle and returned home later to find his co-riders asleep. Both had been in Thailand since August and had met just hours before their deaths. 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. One of his former teachers,Alan Hamel, reminisced, He was a young man of enormous potential and particularly a talented artist. Killed in Thailand: British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. Read about our approach to external linking. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Burmese people are treated as second-class citizens, says Saksith. Scared is right. [20] Both bodies were found semi-naked;[21] a pile of clothes was found nearby. Post-mortem examinations showed that the young backpackers, who. The head of the country's Central Institute of Forensic Science found that the DNA on the hoe did not match the defendants. Officials deny claims of torture and reports that men accused of killing Hannah Witheridge and David Miller withdrew confessions Jamie Doward Sat 11 Oct 2014 07.15 EDT Last modified on Sat 2 Dec . Theres no work permit that allows you to work in 15 different locations [under the sea], he says. Thailands forensics chief, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand, has said that by not using trained specialists, police contradicted the principles of forensic science.. Mr and Mrs Miller, from St Helier, said: "Every moment we miss our son. There were 362 U.K. citizens who met their end in Thailand in 2014, more so even than in France, which attracts almost 20 times as many British visitors. Pathologists and legal experts criticised the police for mishandling the evidence, allowing contamination of the crime scene and failing to use experts to collect forensic evidence. The pairs trial began on July 8, 2015, with the prosecution highlighting the DNA evidence and police findings as their primary strategy. The second individual, Wai Phyo, had allegedly fled the island by boat the previous night. The convictions were mired in controversy, with supporters of the two men arguing they had been framed because their initial confessions were made under duress. The police categorically deny any mistreatment and no officer has been charged to date. By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . Burmese migrant workers made up an additional 5,000, around 2,000 of these being illegal immigrants who bribe local police by paying 500 baht each month. Hannah met David Miller by chance when they and their friends stayed in adjoining rooms of the Ocean View Bungalows, a small backpacker complex overlooking the white sand sweep of Sairee beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Two Burmese migrants were convicted over the killings of Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, in 2015. 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. Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of murder in 2015. [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object, resulting in head and face wounds. The largest and most developed is Koh Samui, which also boasts the archipelagos only international airport. Irregular Burmese migrant workers were now required to register with the police in an attempt to discourage illegal workers and prevent bribery. David worked as an intern in the St Helier offices of the Australian mining company Consolidated Minerals. islands volcanic inception. 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. [85][15][86] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". 2023 BBC. One of the men Mau Mau resided nearby. 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. David and Hannah were seen together at a local pub called AC Bar with friends on September 14th, according to reports, before they left together at 1:00 am. [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". Witheridge was travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, didn't know each other before they met on holiday in Thailand in September. [59] The defence struggled to find members of the public willing to testify at the trial, as many feared retribution,[1][60] hence their alibi was not considered convincing by the court.
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