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British couple attacked on Thai holiday give court statements British couple attacked on Thai holiday give court statements
(35 minutes later)
A British couple in their 60s who were attacked during a family holiday in Thailand recounted their ordeal in court on Monday after a visit from government officials bearing gifts and apologies. A British couple who were punched and kicked unconscious while on a family holiday in Thailand have recounted their ordeal for court officials, as government officials apologised to them.
Rosemary and Lewis Owen and their 43-year-old son were on holiday last month in the resort town of Hua Hin when a group of four allegedly drunken Thai men attacked them. A video of the 13 April assault, in which the three were punched in the face, knocked down and kicked unconscious, was widely shared in Thailand and drew global attention. Rosemary Owen, 65, her husband Lewis, 68, and their son, also called Lewis, 43, were on holiday in the resort town of Hua Hin when they were allegedly assaulted during an altercation with four Thai men.
Police said the attack began after the Owens’ son accidentally bumped into one of the men on a crowded street. Police have arrested four suspects, who face charges of aggravated group assault that carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Rosemary Owen suffered a serious head injury requiring surgery, and her husband and son required stitches to head wounds as a result of the attack on 13 April, said to have been captured on CCTV. Four suspects have been arrested.
The attack was the latest blow to Thailand’s image as a tourist haven and has prompted officials to vow swift punishment of the perpetrators. The grandmother told Hua-Hin’s provincial court: “I still have nightmares. And the headaches. The headaches are there all the time. I don’t know if it will always stay with me, the memory, but for now I have nightmares and it is sad that this has happened to me by a small group of Thai people, people who I love,” Mail Online reported.
Panadda Diskul, an official in the Thai prime minister’s office, visited the couple in a Hua Hin hospital on Monday. Thai media reported that he apologised on behalf of the Thai government and promised the suspects would face trial. She was speaking in a private room, giving evidence to a court official because she was reportedly too nervous to be in the same room as her alleged attackers. Their statements were before their scheduled return to the UK on Tuesday, and would be used to any future trial proceedings.
He was accompanied by the resort’s police superintendent , its mayor and the provincial governor, Thai media reported. They presented the couple with fruit baskets, flowers and other gifts. Local police have said the attack started after the couple’s son, a graphic designer who lives in Singapore, bumped accidentally into one of the Thai men on a crowded street.
Rosemary Owen, 65, suffered a serious head injury that resulted in surgery to remove a buildup of fluid on her brain. Her 68-year-old husband and her son, who left Thailand last week, both required stitches in the head. Panadda Diskul, a minister in the Thai prime minister’s office, visited the couple in a Hua Hin hospital on Monday and reported that he had apologised on behalf of the government. Bearing gifts of fruit and flowers, he was accompanied by the Hua Hin police superintendent, the town’s mayor and the provincial governor.
“The couple looked better. I saw them smiling and relaxed, which was not the case last week when they were frightened, upset and angry, understandably,” said Chaiyakorn Sriladecho, the police superintendent. “The doctor said this morning that their wounds are healing fine and that there shouldn’t be any more complications.” The attack, which has received widespread media coverage, could potentially tarnish Thailand’s image as a holiday destination.
Ahead of the couple’s scheduled flight home on Tuesday, they were taken to the Hua Hin court for their testimonies to be recorded. Supt Col Chaiyakorn Sriladecho, said after visiting the pair: “The couple looked better. I saw them smiling and relaxed which was not the case last week when they were frightened, upset and angry, understandably. The doctor said this morning that their wounds are healing fine and that there shouldn’t be any more complications.
“Their testimonies today will be used for the trial later. We asked them to do this so they won’t have to travel back to Thailand once the trial begins,” Chaiyakorn said. “Their testimonies will be used for the trial later. We asked them to do this so they won’t have to travel back to Thailand once the trial begins.”
Details of their testimony were not made public. Details of their testimonies were not made public. A trial date has not been set.
The trial date has not yet been set.