david miller and hannah witheridge

Hannah had been bludgeoned to death a few feet from her room door alongside her fellow British tourist David Miller. And on Koh Tao there are around 5,000 Burmese conspicuous by the golden streaks of thanaka paste, a traditional sunscreen and beauty product, garnishing their cheeks who build hotels, sweep rooms and serve drinks to the coppery throngs of tourists. This was very different. [63] They plead not guilty to the charge at the trial, but Wai Phyo changed his plea to guilty during the proceedings. Read about our approach to external linking. Back on Koh Tao, authorities have scrambled to blot out the tragedy. The families that run the island and police that guard it deny any involvement with narcotics. She added, She always got along well on placement. They took the victim away in a pickup truck and the barman just got a mop out and cleaned up the blood, he says. A process of registering irregular Burmese migrant workers has been introduced to tackle the semiofficial bribes, though many say abuses continue unabated. Miss Witheridge, a University of Essex student from Hemsby, Norfolk and Mr Miller, a civil and . The family of a British backpacker killed in Thailand have welcomed a decision to commute his murderers' death sentences to life in prison. mi.) I had no idea, says Jordi Cramer, 21, a waitress from Edmonton, Canada, when TIME speaks to her strolling past the granite-hemmed crime scene. He was ultimately arrested a few hours later while hiding on the vessel. According to reports, they allegedly confessed to the murders, stating the migrant workers wanted to rape Hannah after getting aroused while reportedly seeing her kissing David on the beach. The only items still available for retesting were objects found around the crime scene, including the suspected murder weapons, but one witness claimed that these had been washed. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. In a wildly controversial move, the police forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of the media a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. According to the BBC, staff from the British embassy left for Koh Tao soon after the news broke of the murders. [31] Media reports speculated that was because the defence was wary of calling on foreign experts fearing it could appear as undermining the Thai justice system, and could bias the judges against their case. The police investigation and criminal trial were widely criticised by international media, human rights organisations, and legal experts. [2] In 2014, the island had a population of around 5,000 locals. The investigators claimed the semen sample retrieved from Hannahs body and the forensic evidence found on the murder weapons and cigarette butts matched their DNA samples. [1][47] The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, denied that torture was involved in the confessions. Miller had been a student at Victoria College, a fee-paying school on Jersey. The island is known as a haven for scuba divers. 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". It has over 100 hotels and resorts and was deemed the busiest diving centre in Southeast Asia in 2014. [6] Miller had just completed his undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering at the University of Leeds and was starting a master's degree. 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. 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. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in 2014 By Stephanie Cockroft 15 August 2020 A pair of migrant workers convicted of murdering two young British tourists on a Thai holiday. Foreigners die surprisingly often here. They had no prior criminal records. It will take a bit of time to find loopholes to appeal. [72] The Supreme Court of Thailand upheld the sentence in August 2019, stating that the police handled the case correctly and the forensic evidence was "clear, credible, and detailed". They toil in slavelike conditions for pitiful wages in occupations typically described as 3-D dirty, dangerous, degrading. [70] Wai Phyo was also convicted of theft for allegedly stealing a phone and sunglasses from Miller's body. Thailand backpacker murders: bar workers found guilty of killing British tourists, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Wai Phyo, a Real Madrid fanatic who idolizes FIFA world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, moves a virtually hairless top lip as he talks. [37] Two weeks after the bodies were found, on 1 October 2014, police interrogated Mau Mau, who said he took the motorcycle and separated from the other two men before the murders occurred, and found them both home asleep by the time he had returned. Direct quotations from the trial are unavailable, as the judges did not permit the public to take notes. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital A post-mortem examination showed she had been raped. The balcony of room A5 at Ocean View Bungalows commands one of the finest vistas of Koh Taos sweeping Sairee Beach. [46] The police then forced the suspects to re-enact the murder in front of media,[34] a move condemned by legal experts as prejudicing a fair hearing. [36] Footage near the crime scene also showed one of the three men running into a shortcut. Powered by. . Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were killed in Thailand in 2014 Aug 17, 2020 Rex The two Burmese men who were jailed for killing British backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David. [1][96], Although tourist arrivals to Koh Tao dropped in the months immediately following the murders, there was little lasting effect on tourism to the island.[92]. 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. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. But it unraveled just as quickly. [62] They were both also charged with entering the country illegally, to which Wai Phyo had already confessed. 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. 2023 BBC. [30] 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". Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found dead on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September last year. He was returning from a placement in Australia when he stopped in Thailand for a holiday with a friend. He hailed fromJersey, a Crown Dependency, and graduated from Victoria College in 2008. The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014. Complaining about wrongdoing may invite official questions and demands for passports and documentation. The bodies of Mr Miller and Miss Witheridge were found on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Tao in 2014. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo are two of an estimated 2 million irregular Burmese migrants, along with smaller numbers from neighboring Cambodia and Laos, currently working low-paid jobs in comparatively thriving Thailand. The second individual, Wai Phyo, had allegedly fled the island by boat the previous night. [21][25] There was tearing present at the vulva, bruising on the perineum, and a bite mark on her right nipple. Both were. Two Burmese workers were sentenced to death in 2015,. Thai king commutes Myanmar men's death sentence over Britons' murder, Thailand backpacker murders: Burmese workers sentenced to death, British backpacker murder case that put Thailand on trial, WhyUK role in backpackers murder case still worries rights groups, Why UK role in case still worries rights groups, in a statement released by the Foreign Office. Thailands forensics chief, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand, has said that by not using trained specialists, police contradicted the principles of forensic science.. Zaw and Wai were each indicted on five charges, including premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offense, rape, illegal entry into Thailand, and staying in the country without permission. [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. That would be absolutely in his character.. There was so much he could be doing with his life, and having it cut short is unbelievably cruel. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, "This Septic Isle: Backpackers, Bloodshed and the Secretive World of Koh Tao", "Links revealed between police and migrants on Koh Tao", "Police: Still no suspect in killings of Britons on idyllic Thai island", "Thai king commutes death sentence of UK pair's killers", "Thailand: Hannah Witheridge 'raped by two men before being killed', "Thailand backpacker murders: David Miller and Hannah Witheridge - two lives cut short", "Thailand murders: Victims' families talk of senseless killings", "Hannah Witheridge's family pay tribute to "beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman", "British backpackers murdered in Thailand named as Hannah Witheridge and David Miller", "Thailand murders: Amnesty International call for police torture probe", Koh Samui Provincial Court No. Irregular Burmese migrant workers were now required to register with the police in an attempt to discourage illegal workers and prevent bribery. According to reports, the police sought his friend, who shared a room with David, in the double homicide, and a nationwide manhunt was launched. David Miller and Hannah Witheridge only met each other 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. The two were said to have been backpackers going through the tiny island of Koh Tao. [25] There were no known eyewitnesses to the murders. [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 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. Speaking exclusively to TIME at Koh Samui Prison, both appear much younger than their 22 years. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5am, a few hours after their deaths. The 24-year-olds parents, Ian and Susan, and his brother also travelled to Koh Tao to see the spot where the pair were killed, leaving mementos including a copy of a program for Millers funeral service, where mourners also wore colourful clothes, and his body was carried in a coffin covered in sunflowers. Some sources also refer to Wai Phyo as Win Zaw Htun. The sweet reek of marijuana is commonplace even in prominent beachfront bars, while cocaine and crystal meth, known locally as yaba or crazy drug, are not hard to find, say locals. But the sheer ubiquity of drugs on Koh Tao suggests at the very least a high toleration of the trade. At one establishment by Chalok Baan Chao, joints are sold for 200 baht ($6) while a magic mushroom milkshake costs 700 baht ($20). Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were convicted of the . Photograph: PA The police were accused of buckling under pressure to solve a crime that attracted worldwide attention. However, the investigators quickly dismissed him as a suspect. Legally, it would seem quite easy to shut these dive shops down., Insecure residency tends to breed compliance. Her autopsy report showed she had been raped and killed by blows to the head. A mute Burmese beach cleaner discovered the bodies shortly after dawn the following morning at Ocean View Bungalows. 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". David Miller, 24. [53], The prosecution's case focused on findings of the police and medical examiner, with an emphasis on the DNA evidence. [93] Amid the investigation, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul visited Koh Tao on 28 September 2014 in an attempt to reassure tourists. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Nevertheless, few have rallied to the defense of the accused. A royal commutation does not require an admission of guilt, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. People come to Thailand to get away from it all. ITV reports that the suspect may be a friend of either Witheridge or Miller. In September 2014, the 23-year-oldUniversity of East Anglia graduate, who had been studying for a masters degree in speech and language therapy. They also raised concerns with the absence of legal counsel prior to the confession, as well as difficulties with translation and interpretation. T he brutal murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, on the Thai resort island of Koh Tao, has reverberated around the world.. Beach cleaners discovered the Britons . On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5 am, a few hours after their deaths. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. [15] 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". Credit: British Foreign Office That's when the killers pounced. 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. The island of Koh Tao is located in Southern Thailand. A year after Millers death his parents unveiled a memorial for him, a bench on the north coast of his home island, inscribed, Never let a person sit alone. Possessing no official status or documents, their vulnerability is extreme, and complaints of rape, extortion and physical violence are legion. They had no prior criminal records. And the shambolic investigation also didnt help.. [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. Read More: Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? [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. However, the death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment following a royal decree commemorating King Vajiralongkorns birthday. Over the coming weeks we hope to gain a better understanding as to how such a wonderful young man lost his life in such idyllic surroundings in such a horrible way, said Millers family in a statement at the opening of the trial. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller have been named as the two tourists who chopped up by a hoe in Thailand. The pairs trial began on July 8, 2015, with the prosecution highlighting the DNA evidence and police findings as their primary strategy. Thai king commutes sentence of UK pairs killers, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014 Two Burmese migrants convicted over the killings had their death sentences reduced to life. The police removed the bodies to prevent them from being swept up in the rising tide as the locals blocked the pier to stop the unidentified killers from leaving the island. Naturally, a pall of silence engulfs this clannish, cliquey atoll, owing in no small part to the legal standing of its foreign contingent. Both were found dead early on the morning of September 15. In a statement, Ian and Sue Miller, who have campaigned against the death penalty, said: "We are grateful to His Majesty the King of Thailand for showing his clemency to the murderers of our son David. Once youve been living there for a while, youll turn a blind eye to some pretty sketchy stuff, says Mike Earley, 30, from New Zealand, who spent six months on the island working as a DJ. The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. Little wonder the conversational staple of many long-term expats is, These are the worst Thais in Thailand.. According to the prosecutors, the defendants used the garden hoe to knock Hannah unconscious and held her down as they raped her before murdering her. Zaw Lin was not convicted of this charge because he held a work permit for the two years preceding the murders. Human-rights groups expressed serious concerns. However, the erstwhile national police chief denied the allegations of torture, although the police refused to cooperate with representatives of Thailands National Human Rights Commission attempting to investigate the serious allegations. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Photograph: PA The island, two hours by boat from the nearest airport, has a low-key, undeveloped feel. Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of murder in 2015. DNA was collected from these three areas and sent to a police forensics lab for analysis. According to reports, David and Hannah arrived separately on the island with their friends on August 25, 2014. However, the event did not materially affect tourism to the island over the following years. The murders of Witheridge and Miller sent shock waves through Thailand. How Did Steven Beirnes Die? The officers also charged Wai with stealing Davids mobile phone. Will [tourists] survive in Thailand if they dress in bikinis? he asked Sept. 17. Drugs play a key role. 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. They said Wai Phyo found the mobile phone dropped on the beach, and so he kept it. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. "Our thoughts are also with the Witheridge family and the tragic loss of their daughter. Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. They also. [28], Due to concerns the murders might affect foreign tourism into Thailand, the national authorities sought to expedite the investigation into the murders. [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. A garden hoe and wooden club found nearby were quickly fingered as the principal murder weapons. [42][43] Early police reports said Miller's mobile phone was also found in Zaw Lin's home,[44][45] although the media had previously reported the phone was handed to police by a friend of the victim. You have reached your limit of free articles. But generally they lose their lives through traffic accidents, overdoses and suicides. Hannah Witheridge and David Miller's bodies were found on a beach in Koh Tao in September 2014. Many believe the true culprits are local, and these suspicions were fueled after a Scottish friend of Miller fled the island claiming to have had his life threatened by local thugs. News reports stated officers rounded up200 alleged suspects, most migrant workers, and used mass DNA testing. (Police deny these allegations.). Read about our approach to external linking. [64], Several CCTV cameras near the crime scene were reported to be nonfunctional, and cameras near the pier were not checked by the police. One belonged to David, and one belonged to an unknown Asian male. One of his former teachers,Alan Hamel, reminisced, He was a young man of enormous potential and particularly a talented artist. Hannah Witheridge (left), 23, and David Miller, 24, were killed on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September 2015. These rocks are no strangers to explosive secrets. Miller had scratches on his back and water in his lungs indicating drowning. The children always loved her. He later apologised for the comment after it was met with public backlash. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5 am, a few hours after their deaths.Both victims had been hit several times on the head; Witheridge had been raped, and Miller had been drowned. [1] Receiving half a million visitors each year,[1] Koh Tao is especially popular with backpackers and known for its marine life and scuba diving. According to reports, the bodies were partially clothed, and the officers also located three cigarette butts and a used condom nearby. They also pointed out several mistakes the incompetent investigators committed during the probe and alleged the officers restored to torture to make the defendants admit to the crime. The DNA analysis in the case, which was not subject to independent oversight or verification, was provided to the court as a one-page summary with four supporting pages, some of it handwritten with amendments. Photograph: PA. Rights groups have said the pair were used as scapegoats by the . Yet it remains an open secret that organized crime is rampant on these islands, says Saksith. Miss Witheridge's family paid tribute to their . 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. According to Kingsley Abbott, Southeast Asia legal expert for the International Commission of Jurists, 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.. 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 . Dilleen Hempel Murder: Who Killed Her? [1] Police revealed that the samples from Witheridge's body were used up,[62][27] but were able to provide DNA samples from the murder weapon. Far from official oversight, de facto control falls to the owners of booming hospitality businesses that were developed on land originally obtained, via government concessions, for coconut plantations. She was buried the following month near her family home following a service billed as a celebration of her life, with mourners encouraged to wear bright colours. Since then, he had managed to send back almost $2,000 to help his destitute family. I think my lasting memory of him will be his smile, wonderful sense of humor, and ability to put his ideas across with conviction and thoughtfulness. David, then 24, had recently graduated in civil and structural engineering from the University of Leeds and planned onstarting a masters degree. The experience was clearly a very difficult one, with relatives walking out at one point when the court was shown images of Witheridges body, and heard details of her injuries. Ill never meet anyone like her. Lucy and Hannah were both receiving training to help people with speech difficulties, and Lucy said Hannah wanted to go on to work with children. They had only been in the country for days before they were murdered. [71], 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. But in Thailand, the police perform the entire process. Typically, they work seven days a week for a pittance, sleeping in bamboo shacks erected in jungle clearances. Pensions and incomes that would be less than optimum in Europe, say, or North America, can fund a life of carefree hedonism in Thailand. Ive not been threatened, but Ive too much to lose, he says. "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.". WHEN Susan Witheridge heard her daughter Hannah wanted to go to Thailand she was terrified. When the authorities were unable to pin the crime on migrant workers, they turned their attention toward Western tourists related to the victims. Their death sentences were reduced to life in prison after they were . [10][32] They highlighted a British tourist who had shared a room with Miller as a suspect, labelling it a "crime of passion"; he became the subject of a nationwide manhunt before the police quickly dropped the lead. Analytical Services; Analytical Method Development and Validation David Miller, 24, from Jersey, was found murdered alongside Hannah . "But in the end the truth has been revealed," the couple added. [1][11][18] A bloody hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, and a wooden club were found near the bodies,[19][4][14] along with three cigarette butts and a used condom. By the time dawn broke over Koh Tao, the beach had been . Hannah Witheridge & David Miller. Zaw and Wai were subjected to hours-long interrogation sessions, with the police using Burmese food vendors as interpreters since the pair did not speak Thai. Police and court systems were hacked or taken offline in the following days, and a stash of personal information obtained from the court's servers was posted publicly. [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". [11], An autopsy revealed that both victims were hit by a hard object, resulting in head and face wounds. However, the Thai police have denied these allegations and termed them baseless. The largest and most developed is Koh Samui, which also boasts the archipelagos only international airport. [51] This decision was criticised by the Solicitors International Human Rights Group, one of the observers at the trial. A mute Burmese beach cleaner stumbled upon the bodies shortly after dawn the following morning on Sairee Beach, near Hannahs room A5 at Ocean View Bungalows. Like the Millers, the Witheridge family initially offered no comment on worries about a miscarriage of justice after the arrested men said they had been tortured to extract confessions. One of Wai Phyos former employers, who saw him soon after Sept. 15 and noticed no perceivable change in his demeanor, has refused to be a character witness or be named by TIME.
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