The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

scot suspected over Burma teacher death has left the country

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A British teacher whose colleague died after they spent the night drinking together in Burma is understood to have left the country.

Gary Ferguson, 47, also from the UK, was found dead in his colleague’s apartment in Rangoon, police said.

His wife reportedly discovered him with head and chest wounds in the suspect’s flat on Sunday morning after he failed to return home.

Burmese police said Harris Binotti has not been seen since he and Mr Ferguson had been drinking together in the commercial capital of the country.

The 25-year-old is wanted on suspicion of carrying out the attack, and is understood to have left the country, also known as Myanmar, on Sunday without informing anyone.

A police officer in Rangoon said: “At the time they were together drinking. They were talking and fighting.”

Mr Ferguson and the suspect both taught English at the Horizon Internatio­nal School in the city, which is also known as Yangon.

The victim had worked there for a year while the suspect had been there for around three months, a school spokesman said.

He said: “We don’t know exactly what happened.

“They were together and they had been drinking and enjoying the night and after that he (Mr Ferguson) was found dead on Sunday morning.

“He (Mr Binotti) is now missing and there is an investigat­ion.

“We send our condolence­s to Mr Ferguson’s family.”

Mr Ferguson’s wife is thought to be Thai.

A school secretary, who gave her name as Yamin, said: “We are very shocked about the news. These two teachers were very close friends so everyone is shocked.”

Mr Binotti is thought to be from Dumfries but also lived in Aberdeen.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are providing help and support to the family of a British national following a death in Rangoon, Burma, and are in touch with the local authoritie­s.”

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