Thai court sentences 2 Myanmar men to death for killing British tourists
Xinhua, December 24, 2015 Adjust font size:
A Thai court on Thursday found two Myanmar nationals guilty of murdering two British tourists in southern Thailand last year and handed down death sentences.
The court on the resort island of Samui sentenced the two 22-year-old Myanmar workers to death for the rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, as well as the killing of David Miller in mid-September 2014. Both victims were in their early 20s.
The defendants, who were arrested two weeks after the murders, also got two-year imprisonment for robbery and illegal entry.
The suspects had initially confessed to killing two British nationals on the beach of Koh Tao last September, only to withdraw their confessions later, claiming they were made under duress. Police have denied the accusations.
Forensic evidences, such as DNA samples collected from cigarette butts found near the victims' bodies, linked the suspects to the case, according to local authorities.
But defense attorneys have insisted the DNA evidence is flawed. It remains unknown if the attorneys will appeal. Endit