Man free on jetski incident
A VICTORIAN man who accidentally killed his girlfriend in a Phuket jetski accident has been handed a suspended sentence.
Tom Keating, 22, will leave Thailand in the coming days after being given a suspended sentence by a Thai court over the death of his girlfriend, Emily Collie, 20.
Keating stood silently yesterday before the judge as she issued her verdict.
“The defendant has been helping the family of the deceased ... he paid for their aeroplane ticket and hotel and for her body to be sent back to Australia and her funeral,” the judge said.
“But he was unable to attend the funeral because he could not leave the country.
“The girl’s parents understand that this happened accidentally.”
Keating was also fined 5000 Thai baht ($A188).
Following the brief hearing and verdict, Keating left the court and refused to make any comment, as he and his parents were bundled into a waiting car.
Ms Collie drowned on the final day of the couple’s twoweek holiday. Keating had said sunlight bouncing off the water blinded him, causing the deadly collision of their jetskis.
The couple had arrived in Phuket on January 26.