Murdered backpacker’s family urge for leniency for killers

THE family of a British backpacker murdered in Thailand have asked the authorities to be lenient on the killers – and not give them the death sentence.

David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were both murdered in Thailand in September 2014.

Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin, both 22, were found guilty of the murder back in 2015. After they were convicted, both were sentenced to death.

But the family of David Miller said in a statement this week that they hoped the authorities would “show leniency”.

It said: “We remain confident that this is the correct decision. We hope that the Thai authorities will show leniency in relation to the death sentence.

“We have always said that we did not want innocent men sentenced, nor guilty parties acquitted on a technicality. In the end, we believe that the evidence is overwhelming and we feel that justice has been done.

“We attended most of the court process and had the benefit of excellent, unbiased translation.”

Mr Miller, from Jersey, and Ms Witheridge, of Norwich, were bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel rooms late at night on a beach in Koh Tao. Ms Witheridge was also raped during the ordeal.

Lin and Phyo initially confessed to the killings, but then retracted their statements saying they were tortured.

They launched an appeal against the death sentences disputing DNA evidence used to convict them.

But a court in Koh Samui this week upheld the sentences given to the Burmese migrant workers.

Judges said evidence presented at the trial in December 2015 was adequate and reliable – and the victims’ families agreed.

Mr Miller’s family added in a statement: “The appeal process has now confirmed their guilt. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo will now have time in jail to reflect on their horrific crimes.

“We have lost our son David forever and the Witheridge family will have been similarly devastated by this crime.

“We are proud of our son and what he achieved in his short life. We miss him terribly and miss his hugs, beaming smiles and infectious enthusiasm. His life was cruelly destroyed.”