Thai police believe that Hannah may have turned down the advances of a local man after reports emerged that the pair were seen arguing with an alleged gangster in a bar. Their findings were never made public. [3][15] Some migrants who were questioned complained that police scalded them with boiling water during interrogations, allegations which were denied by police. The two young tourists were killed in the early hours of 15 September, 2014, after which their relatives endured a long wait for justice, Last modified on Wed 23 Dec 2015 23.15 EST. They had no prior criminal records. Two Burmese men have reportedly admitted to killing British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. [19] The police forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media, a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. Irregular Burmese migrant workers were now required to register with the police in an attempt to discourage illegal workers and prevent bribery. David Miller & Hannah Witheridge murdered on Thailand Island. But in December, in a statement released by the Foreign Office, they said they were âconfidentâ in the Thai policeâs work. Bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, found on beach on island of Koh Tao. The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, aged 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, were discovered semi-naked on a beach in the divers' paradise of Koh Tao yesterday. [11] Both bodies were found semi-naked. She Stood as a Candidate in an Election for the Conservative Party. [28] A lawyer for the men, Nakhon Chomphuchat, said "we will appeal as soon as we can, we have just got a copy of the court's verdict. Goodbye Everyone - signing off; He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. The pair said they offered information to authorities charged with probing the deaths of Hannah, 23, and David, 24. Officers said to be looking for one of the Mr Miller's friends. But in the early hours of 15 September last year the pair, who were together on the beach after leaving a nearby bar, died next to each other in the most horrific circumstances. Thailand backpacker murders: David Miller and Hannah Witheridge - two lives cut short The two young tourists were killed in the early hours of … "[40] Another commentary in the paper stated that the "overwhelming public skepticism ... stems from the police's longstanding notoriety for arresting poor and powerless scapegoats to save rich criminals who can afford to buy their innocence". They’re Both UK Citizens. [1], A defence team from Bangkok, composed of nearly 20 lawyers, were only permitted half an hour to meet the men; a request by the defence to delay the hearing and allow more time to prepare was denied by a judge at the Koh Samui Provincial Court. The country's prime minister, who had been phoning the national police chief daily for updates on the investigation, said "this should not have happened at all, as it will affect Thailand in the eyes of the international community". They conducted DNA tests of over 200 individuals on the island, many of them migrant workers. [23], The 2014 murders, along with other deaths and disappearances of tourists, led to British tabloids labelling Koh Tao as "Death Island". Thailand backpacker murders: bar workers found guilty of killing British tourists. His former headteacher described him as âa bright young man and a talented artist, with real potential to forge a worthwhile and fruitful path in his lifeâ. The bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Koh Tao in 2014 (PA) "Laura had been gravely ill and was being treated in hospital. [8], 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. Fex Bluse. [1][5] A bloody hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, and a wooden club were found near the bodies, along with the victims' clothes. Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were murdered on the Thai island of Koh Tao in September 2014. Miller had been a student at Victoria College, a fee-paying school on Jersey. Witheridge was a graduate from the University of East Anglia who had been studying for a masters degree in speech and language therapy. [1][14] Pornthip Rojanasunand, a Thai forensic scientist, testified at the trial that the crime scene was poorly managed. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, who were murdered on a beach in Thailand in September 2014 Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. [41] 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. 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. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. 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. [19][20] The police said the suspects' DNA matched a sample of semen taken from Witheridge's body, from the hoe which was used as a murder weapon, and from cigarette butts found near the body. View gallery. 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. David William Miller, 24, from Jersey who has been murdered along with Hannah Victoria Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Image: Enterprise News and Pictures)14 of 18. [1][29], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. The Koh Tao murders occurred on 15 September 2014 when two British tourists, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were found dead on a beach on the island of Koh Tao, Thailand. [14] A British defence lawyer, Felicity Gerry QC, said the trial was "far too rushed and unfair to the defense". [21] In December 2014, the suspects were each indicted on five charges: premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offence, rape, illegal entry into Thailand, and staying in the country without permission. [19][23] Amnesty International stated that Thailand "must initiate an independent, effective and transparent investigation into mounting allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by police". 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. [11], Due to concerns the murders might affect foreign tourism into Thailand, the national authorities sought to expedite the investigation into the murders. [50][8] Prayut said that British and Burmese government representatives were "limited to observation" and had to "respect our processes". [48] A 2016 study wrote that the case, which it described as a litmus test of Thailand's justice system, "seriously damaged the image of Thailand and of its forces of law and order on the global level". David Miller and Hannah Witheridge, a backpacking couple from England, were murdered on the island of Ko Tao in 2014. [45][46], 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. [13] 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". [4][18] The commutation was welcomed by Miller's family. [26][27] They claimed that the suspects, by virtue of being vulnerable as illegal migrant workers, were scapegoated by the police for the crime. [33] Protestors called for the release of the two suspects, who they believed were innocent and scapegoated for the crime. Ms Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, and Mr Miller, from Jersey, were murdered on the popular holiday island on September 15. Miller had head wounds, scratches on his back, and water in his lungs indicating drowning,[1][3] while Witheridge had been raped and hit several times on the head and face. By Fex Bluse, May 3 in Farang Pub - fun, entertainment and Expat life. [1][4] Witheridge and Miller travelled and arrived on the island separately on 25 August; Witheridge travelling with three other friends, and Miller with two others. [1][55], Although tourist arrivals to Koh Tao dropped in the months immediately following the murders, there was little lasting effect on tourism to the island.[51]. [33] Wai Phyo was also convicted for theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. The suspects were initially denied access to legal counsel and alleged that police used torture and threats to secure a confession. A year after Millerâs death his parents unveiled a memorial for him, a bench on the north coast of his home island, inscribed, âNever let a person sit aloneâ. [17], Two weeks after the bodies were found, on 1 October 2014, police arrested two men who confessed to the murders two days later: Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo,[a] both 22-year-old illegal migrant workers from Rakhine, Myanmar who worked in the hospitality industry. The terrifying incident happened just a year before David Miller and Hannah Witheridge died. [5] The two met in Koh Tao while staying at the same hotel. The family of Hannah Witheridge who was beaten to death on a beach in Thailand have been hit by a new tragedy after the sudden death of her sister. David Miller was her handsome friend from the Channel Islands. David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were killed in Koh Tao in 2014. David Miller and Hannah Witheridge The pair were found close to the bungalows where they had been staying Two British tourists have been killed in an attack on a beach in southern Thailand, local police have said. [14] They focused on foreign nationals, with a spokesperson for the police claiming "Thais wouldn't do this". Why UK role in case still worries rights groups, in a statement released by the Foreign Office. Measuring 21 square kilometres (8 sq mi) in area, it is the smallest of three popular tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand. The police was under pressure to produce results quickly, which affected how they conducted their investigation. [8] Public prosecutors initially rejected the report, asking for "certain flaws" to be fixed, more information to be supplied, and for the report to be made "more succinct". Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. Attempts to appeal the sentence failed, but a royal decree was issued in 2020 commuting the death sentences to life imprisonment. [39], An opinion piece in Bangkok Post wrote that "practically no one believes [Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo] really brutally murdered English tourists", adding "in Thai media of all kinds, the consensus is that Win and Zaw Lin are scapegoats. 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