Handler charged over death of Scot gored on elephant trek in Thailand

AN elephant handler has been charged over the death of a Scottish tourist.

Gareth Crowe, 36, was fatally gored by an elephant when trekking alongside stepdaughter Eilidh Hughes, 16, with a local guide on the tropical island of Ko Samui on Sunday.

Police charged the handler after examining photographs on Mr Crowe’s camera of the moments leading up to the attack.

Officers say the handler neglected his duty by climbing down from the elephant to take photographs of the tourists.

The director of Bo Put Provincial Police Station, police colonel Thewet Pluemsut, has said pictures from Mr Crowe’s camera showing the moment the handler, or mahout, climbed off the elephant prove his ‘inattentiveness’ and responsibility for the incident.

According to the National News Bureau Thailand, the handler, named as Saw Win Tun, 37, told police that Mr Crowe and his step-daughter had taunted the elephant with bananas.

And he said he believes the flash on the camera caused the elephant to attack.

The mahout, who is Burmese, has been charged over his inattentiveness resulting in death and injuries and was due to appear in Koh Samui Provincial Court yesterday.

Mr Crowe, from Linwood, Renfrewshire, was on the island with his partner Catherine Hughes, 42 – mother to Eilidh – and her brother Mark, who both decided not to go on the trek.

Witnesses said the elephant threw Eilidh and Mr Crowe off its back before trampling Mr Crowe and goring him.

Eilidh, who escaped with minor injuries as the elephant ran off into the forest, is being treated at the Bangkok International Hospital.

Earlier this week, Mr Crowe’s brother, Michael, disputed claims he had provoked the elephant, saying: ‘From everyone that was there, they have said that’s not the case. It’s not in his character.’

Mr Crowe’s family are making plans to bring his body back to the UK.