The Thai courts have sentenced the Spaniard Daniel Sancho to life imprisonment for the murder of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, whose remains were found in early August last year on the island of Pangan, Thailand.
News International.
One of the most controversial cases of the last year was the murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta. The accused of this crime was the Spanish chef Daniel Sancho, who today, more than a year after the events, has heard the reading of his sentence in Thailand.
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The court found him guilty of the three crimes for which he was tried: premeditated homicide, dismemberment and concealment of the corpse, and destruction of the victim’s passport.
He was also ordered to pay compensation of approximately 107,000 euros (4 million baht, the official Thai currency) to the family of the deceased, who were financially dependent on him.
The parties, who are still evaluating the court’s decision, now have two possible avenues of appeal: one to the Court of Appeals and another to the Supreme Court. The process usually takes a year, according to legal sources.
Life imprisonment for Sancho
The judge explained during the hearing, held on the island of Samui, about 40 minutes by ferry from where the events occurred, that the sentence was reduced from death to life imprisonment due to the cooperation that Daniel Sancho provided during the investigation.
Prosecutor Jeerawat Sawatdichai, who had brought charges of premeditated murder and sought the death penalty, said he was “satisfied” as he left the hearing that he had been convicted on all three counts of which he was charged during the trial, which took place between April 9 and May 2.
The Thai penal code punishes homicide with three types of penalties, depending on the circumstances.
Sentences range from 15 to 20 years in prison, to life imprisonment, to the death penalty, a penalty that was ultimately not applied.
Edwin Arrieta’s family
The parents of the deceased, Leovaldo José Arrieta and Ana Marcela Arteaga, who have acted as co-accusers in the case, did not travel to Thailand, so they learned of the court’s decision from Colombia.
“The court made the decision it deemed appropriate… The family has received justice,” co-prosecution lawyer Butsakorn Kaewleeled, who appeared alongside lawyer Nattha Lak Jongratwanin on behalf of Arrieta’s family in Thailand, told reporters as he left the court. “We need to talk to the family again to see if they are satisfied with the amount… If not, they also have the right to appeal,” Kaewleeled added.
Compensation to the family
Lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina, who represents the Arrieta family in Spain, described the sentence as “very positive” and announced that, as soon as they receive the verdict, they will request that all the money that reaches Sancho’s bank account in prison be seized, so that all the funds will be destined for the victim’s family.
During an interview on TVE, the lawyer also suggested that, in principle, they will adopt a “prudent” stance regarding appealing the compensation set by the court to avoid it being perceived as a lack of respect for the work carried out by the Thai judicial authorities.
The 107,000 euro compensation award is just over a quarter of the 410,000 euro (16 million baht) compensation sought by the family.
Thai lawyers had estimated the damage caused by the crime at 790,000 euros (30 million baht). “I must say that we are not worried about civil liability. The Arrieta family has never been here for the money. No one is going to bring Edwin Arrieta back to them,” said Ospina.
Several childhood friends and family members of the Colombian surgeon who live in Lorica, Cordoba They have not made any statements following the news, but according to the family’s lawyer they were satisfied with the court’s decision.
While in Spain the media and social media treat Daniel Sancho and his family as if they were the victims: “Poor kid, he has destroyed his life, I respect his family.” In Colombia they report as they should, with rigor; the victim is Edwin Arrieta, the murdered man. pic.twitter.com/TdBhwvfzmJ
— HATEUNIC🖤RNS 🏴🐌🏴☠️ (@Blackisakolorr) August 7, 2023
