THAILAND: Phuket court hands life sentences for Thai men who killed Australian tourist.

Record ID: 232097

  • Title: THAILAND: Phuket court hands life sentences for Thai men who killed Australian tourist.
  • Date: 8th August 2012
  • Summary: PHUKET, THAILAND (AUGUST 8, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PHUKET PROVINCIAL COURT SIGNBOARD READING "PHUKET PROVINCIAL COURT" PROSECUTOR WIWAT KITJALUK, WALKING INTO COURT AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY STAFF WALKING INTO COURT (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) PROSECUTOR WIWAT KITJALUK, SAYING: "The court has given the verdict according to what we pressed charges for. They would have received the to
  • Embargoed: 23rd August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1D3Q2AZ1FSD7OXYQ02U1X6NPR
  • Story Text: A Phuket court sentences two Thai men to life in prison for the first degree murder of an Australian tourist stabbed to death.
    Two Thai men were sentenced to life in prison for the first degree murder of Australian tourist Michelle Smith on Wednesday (August 8).
    Sixty-year-old Michelle Smith, an Australian travel agent, was stabbed to death by 26-year-old Surasak Suwanchot, and 37-year-old Surin Tatthong in Phuket, after they tried to snatch her bag.
    The prosecutor, Wiwat Kitjaluk, said the Phuket court reduced their sentence because they pleaded guilty and cooperated in the court proceedings.

    "The court has given the verdict accordingly to what we pressed charges for. They would have received the toughest sentence, which is the death penalty. But the two pleaded guilty, so the court reduced the sentence to life imprisonment," he said.
    They were convicted of all charges, including attempted robbery at night using a vehicle, pre-meditated murder and the possession of weapons in public.
    The two were arrested six days after the murder took place trying to make an escape out of Phuket.
    Phuket, a popular resort island, is 862 kilometres (536 miles) south of Bangkok.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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