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| Boat Briton murdered off Thailand | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A British man was murdered and his body thrown overboard by three men who then forced his wife to steer the boat to shore, police in Thailand said. | |
| Malcolm Robertson, from East Sussex, and his wife Linda were attacked off Satun, the Foreign Office confirmed. | |
| Thai Police have arrested three Burmese men in connection with the incident. | |
| Police Captain Suparak Pongkarnjana said Mr Robertson shouted for help but the men "slit his throat with a knife and hit him". | |
| So far no body has been found but it is understood the 64-year-old was killed on Monday while sailing with his wife near Koh Dong, an island about 45 miles west of Satun. | |
| Three migrant workers from Burma are said to have confessed to killing Mr Roberston when he caught them trying to steal a dinghy from his moored yacht. | |
| Brother tells of yachtswoman's 'traumatic' Thai ordeal | Brother tells of yachtswoman's 'traumatic' Thai ordeal |
| Mrs Robertson's brother, John Clee, said the couple, from Hastings, were sleeping in different parts of the boat in the early hours when people were heard on board. | Mrs Robertson's brother, John Clee, said the couple, from Hastings, were sleeping in different parts of the boat in the early hours when people were heard on board. |
| Mr Clee, who spoke to his sister by telephone on Tuesday, said: "She heard people coming on board the boat and called out to Malcolm to let him know that someone was coming in. | Mr Clee, who spoke to his sister by telephone on Tuesday, said: "She heard people coming on board the boat and called out to Malcolm to let him know that someone was coming in. |
| "Malcolm must have come up and spoken to them because she heard him - there was a confrontation and then she heard him say 'get off the boat, get off the boat'. | "Malcolm must have come up and spoken to them because she heard him - there was a confrontation and then she heard him say 'get off the boat, get off the boat'. |
| "There was a bit more kerfuffle and nothing else was said, and it all went very quiet." | "There was a bit more kerfuffle and nothing else was said, and it all went very quiet." |
| He said the people came into her cabin and tied her up before taking her up on deck so she could help them sail the yacht. | He said the people came into her cabin and tied her up before taking her up on deck so she could help them sail the yacht. |
| He said: "As she came out of her cabin she said it was a nightmare - there was just blood everywhere. | He said: "As she came out of her cabin she said it was a nightmare - there was just blood everywhere. |
| "She knew then that something awful had happened to Malcolm and she said then that she knew he was dead." | "She knew then that something awful had happened to Malcolm and she said then that she knew he was dead." |
| 'Reported missing' | 'Reported missing' |
| Mr Clee, 63, from Battle, said the intruders sailed the yacht for hours before making off in a dinghy, at which point his sister sailed the boat to a nearby fishing vessel where she found help and the police were called. | Mr Clee, 63, from Battle, said the intruders sailed the yacht for hours before making off in a dinghy, at which point his sister sailed the boat to a nearby fishing vessel where she found help and the police were called. |
| He said the pair were qualified yacht masters who had sailed around the world and it had been Mr Robertson's life-long dream to spend the winter months sailing with his wife. | He said the pair were qualified yacht masters who had sailed around the world and it had been Mr Robertson's life-long dream to spend the winter months sailing with his wife. |
| Mr Robertson was the owner of a chain of coffee shops around Hastings, but was semi-retired, he added. | Mr Robertson was the owner of a chain of coffee shops around Hastings, but was semi-retired, he added. |
| The couple, who had been married for 25 years, had two children each from previous relationships and seven grandchildren between them. | The couple, who had been married for 25 years, had two children each from previous relationships and seven grandchildren between them. |
| All four children were on their way to Thailand to support Mrs Robertson, who escaped with minor injuries, he said. | All four children were on their way to Thailand to support Mrs Robertson, who escaped with minor injuries, he said. |
| A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that a British couple were attacked whilst sailing of the coast of Satun, southern Thailand last night. | A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that a British couple were attacked whilst sailing of the coast of Satun, southern Thailand last night. |
| "Our consular team in Bangkok are in touch with the next of kin and are providing consular assistance to those involved. | "Our consular team in Bangkok are in touch with the next of kin and are providing consular assistance to those involved. |
| "We are urgently pursuing this case with local police who are investigating the incident. We understand that the Thai police have now arrested three suspects. | "We are urgently pursuing this case with local police who are investigating the incident. We understand that the Thai police have now arrested three suspects. |
| "One British national has been reported missing and one British national is in hospital." | "One British national has been reported missing and one British national is in hospital." |