Thai Court Sentences Burmese Workers To Death Convicting British Couple Murder

Thailand has sentenced two men from Myanmar to death Thursday after convicting the murder of a British couple on a holiday resort island Koh Tao in September 2014.

Bodies of 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found on September 15 on the beach of Koh Tao. Police said the lady was raped and bludgeoned to death where as the man suffered blows to his head.

After about a week of the crime police arrested the two Burmese migrant workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tu, who were working in the hospitality industry on the island. Later it was also said the two, both 22-year-old, confessed the crime. However, they retracted later claiming were tortured brutally to admit.

The jury’s sentence follows investigation and trial amid allegations of police incompetence, mishandling of evidence as well as DNA tests.

The trial started in July this year and ended in October with 21 days of witness hearings.

Defense lawyers asked for the retesting of DNA samples but authorities said those have been used up.

Defense lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat said they would file an appeal within a month.

The Samui Provincial Court said processes of collecting the evidence and DNA extracting were up to international standards and so the DNA examination result is reliable.