Brit murdered in Phuket

A British national was killed in Phuket while initial police
investigation indicates business, and private affairs as motives.

Thungthong police on Monday examined the scene where a British
national 60 year old Mr Ian _____ (full name withheld for now) was
lying dead at a room in a shop house in Kathu area. The man’s head was
hit with thick piece of wood found left in the room.
According to police report, Mr. Ian ___ ran a broker business under
_____ serving mostly foreign clients in Phuket. The Provincial Police
Commander Pol.Maj.Gen. Apirak Hongthong said most valuable belongings
such as Rolex watch, gold ring and cash are still with the body, only
cell phone and computer notebook went missing. Four of glass windows
were taken out and police suspected that the killer got through that
window. Police initially suspect that business, and personal affairs
may be the killing motives. The provincial police commander stressed
that he would accelerate the investigation to lead to the killer as
this is the second case of a foreigner murdered in one week.


to be brodcast on Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand
FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm
& 1am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz
Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket,

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

English businessman clubbed to death

The offices of the St James Property Co Ltd, where Mr Stuart was
beaten to death in his bedroom.

KATHU, PHUKET: Police investigating the murder of an Englishman
yesterday suspect the killing may have been motivated by a real estate
dispute.

At 10:30 am yesterday, Tung Tong Police were notified by security
guards of a murder at the Royal Place project on Phra Phuketkaew Rd,
at the Tesco-Lotus junction.

The victim was later identified as Ian Kenneth Stuart, 61.

Police, including Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongtong,
rushed to the three-story offices of the St James Property Co Ltd real
estate firm where Mr Stuart lived alone on the third floor.

Inside police found the victim's body lying on his bed. He had been
beaten on the head with a blunt object, which police have not
recovered.

Inside the bedroom a chest of drawers appears to have been searched. A
trail of blood drops led downstairs, where the intruders removed three
panes from a glass window on the ground floor to gain entry.

Forensic investigators collected samples of dried blood taken from the
walls and dusted for fingerprints from the glass and five bottles of
rice whiskey found outside the building.

Police questioned 26-year-old office manager Suttira Noonchoo, who
discovered Mr Stuart’s body when she reported for work as usual on
Monday morning.

She said she felt something was amiss when she went to remove her
laptop computer from a drawer and found it missing. She then found Mr
Stuart dead in his bedroom upstairs.

Another company laptop had gone missing about two weeks earlier, she
said

Describing the victim as quiet and non-confrontational, she said she
had no idea what the motive might have been.

The attackers probably meant to kill Mr Stuart and locate something
inside. If robbery were the motive, they would not have left behind
valuables including his Rolex watch and gold ring. Miss Suttira’s work
computer downstairs might have contained valuable information wanted
by the intruder, Maj Gen Apirak said.

Police are also investigating revenge as a possible motive, as the
victim was recently involved in a fight with local security guards, he
said.

The murder was the second of a foreigner involved in the real estate
business in less than a week, following the still-unsolved shooting
murder of a Canadian last Thursday.

KomChadLuek