Somchai Wisetsingh, a decorated Thai

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 police Officer

Royal Thai Police

The Royal Thai Police are the national police of Thailand.-About:Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department , a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior...

, was convicted of the murder

Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...

 of two British tourists in the Thai town of Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi ) is a town in the west of Thailand and the capital of Kanchanaburi province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327...

, in 2004.

The murder

On September 9, 2004, Adam Lloyd (25) and Vanessa Arscott (24) were enjoying a meal in the S & S Restaurant in Kanchanaburi, owned by Mr. Wisetsingh, when a heated argument ensued, resulting in the execution style murder of the couple by the off duty policeman.

After the argument, Wisetsingh followed the couple back to the Sugar Cane Guesthouse in his car, before shooting Mr Lloyd three times; once in the head, once in the arm and once in the torso. He then chased Ms. Arscott in his car for some 200 metres before running her down and shooting

Ballistic trauma

The term ballistic trauma refers to a form of physical trauma sustained from the discharge of arms or munitions. The most common forms of ballistic trauma stem from firearms used in armed conflicts, civilian sporting and recreational pursuits, and criminal activity.-Destructive effects:The degree...

 her twice, execution style, in the chest and the head. Both Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Arscott were declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Wisetsingh disappeared immediately after the incident, fleeing to hide from a police manhunt

Manhunt

Manhunt may refer to:In film:* Bloodfist VII: Manhunt, a 1995 action/adventure film starring Don Wilson* Man Hunt , a 1941 film directed by Fritz Lang* Man Hunt , a 1985 Western film directed by Fabrizio De Angelis...

 over the border in Burma. He later returned to Thailand on October 7, 2004, confessing to the crime and performing re-enactments of the incident on television for the police.

During the trial, Wisetsingh changed his plea to not guilty, and denied the murders, blaming them on a mysterious Mr. Ya, a drugs informant

Informant

An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...

 who he claimed shot the couple while trying to protect his handler. Wisetsingh indicated he was coerced into previous confessions. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to serve two life sentences

Life imprisonment

Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...

, only escaping the death sentence

Death Sentence

Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...

because of his record as a decorated police officer and his initial confession to police.