Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, son of Spanish actor, convicted of murdering and dismembering Colombian plastic surgeon.A court docket in Thailand has sentenced a Spanish chef to lifestyles in jail for murdering and dismembering a Colombian guy at the vacationer island of Koh Phangan.
On Thursday, the Koh Samui Provincial Courtroom stated in a observation that Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a 30-year-old chef with a YouTube channel, was once discovered in charge of murdering Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, slicing up and concealing his frame.
The homicide came about in August 2023 whilst Sancho and Arrieta have been holidaying on Koh Phangan, the pair having agreed to satisfy on-line. The trial heard that Sancho chopped up 44-year-old Arrieta’s frame and put the portions in plastic baggage prior to distributing them across the island.
Sancho, who’s from a well-known Spanish appearing circle of relatives, denied premeditated homicide, however said dismembering the sufferer’s frame and taking away the portions on land and at sea.
The defence argued that Sancho acted in reputable self-defence after Arrieta attempted to pressure him to have intercourse, the latter falling and hitting his head on a bath, dropping awareness after which demise.
The case got here to mild when garbage creditors discovered what the Bangkok Publish newspaper described as a sawn-off pelvis and intestines weighing about 5kg (11 kilos) in a fertiliser sack.
In a while after that, Sancho reported to police that Arrieta was once lacking. Thai police then amassed proof linking the 2 males, detaining and interrogating the chef.
Police received surveillance video appearing Sancho allegedly buying a knife, rubber gloves, garbage baggage and cleansing answers at a comfort retailer prior to Arrieta’s demise, which prosecutors claimed reinforced the rate of premeditated homicide.
Well-known circle of relatives
The case has generated huge passion in Spain for the reason that defendant’s father, Rodolfo Sancho, is a famend actor and dozens of Spanish newshounds had flown in for the trial.
The court docket to start with sentenced Sancho to demise however commuted the punishment to lifestyles imprisonment because of the account he gave of the occasions all over cross-examination, ordering him to pay 4.4 million baht (about $130,000) to Arrieta’s circle of relatives.
Bussakorn Kaewleeled, a legal professional for the sufferer’s circle of relatives, stated they have been “glad with the sentence as a result of he’ll be installed jail for lifestyles and so they obtain some monetary reimbursement”.
Carmen Balfagon, a legal professional representing the Sancho circle of relatives, stated: “We didn’t be expecting it [the life sentence], however we should settle for what Thai justice has stated, we need to recognize it.”
In his remaining observation, Sancho informed the court docket he regretted his movements. “I’m sorry {that a} lifestyles has been misplaced and that folks have misplaced a son,” Sancho was once quoted as pronouncing via the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Below positive stipulations, Sancho can follow to be repatriated to serve the rest of his jail time period again house after a number of years of imprisonment in Thailand, in line with a treaty between Thailand and Spain.
