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A 43-year-old Briton accused of the brutal road rage attack on a popular English teacher in Thailand was today (Saturday) being held in custody for attempted murder after being arrested at Bangkok International Airport.
Sean Henry Tinsley had fled Thailand, it is alleged, after launching a brutal attack on Adam Pickles, 40, from Bradford, Yorkshire,leaving him for dead in the resort of Pattaya – 80 miles east of Bangkok.
Tinsley, from Wolverhampton, was arrested on his return late Friday and is expected to be further remanded in custody at Pattaya Provincial Court (Mon).
So serious were Pickles’ injuries that is believed he attacked Adam Pickles from behind with a wheel brace after he scraped Tinley’s vehicle while getting out of a parking spot in the resort city.
Bravado
But CCTV footage appears to show Tinsley, who had already been deported from Thailand for immigration offences, re-enacting the crime with bravado in front of friends showing him punching someone face on and knocking him down.
Pickles married with a nine-month-old son is 6ft. Tinsley is 5ft 8”.
After six weeks the popular Head of English at the Regent’s International School in Pattaya, was brought back home to the U.K. when a local and international appeal received a massive response for funds.
But today the amiable guitar playing teacher still remains in a coma in Leeds General Hospital. Kids and teachers from the school have been sending messages of support.
Adam’s parents Andrew, 62, and Adele, 61, had earlier flown from Leeds to be by his bedside and see their grand-son Benjamin for the first time.
Back in Leeds Adele Pickles said today:
“We are pleased and relieved at the arrest and we would like to thank the Thai police for their great help, particularly a Lt.Colonel Chakring at Banglamuang Police station and his team.
“Our only fear is that this man gets away again. An international warrant for his arrest was issued last Thursday. We do not know how he got back to Thailand. My husband and I are going through hell daily because of what happened. Our thoughts are with Adam, his wife, and our nine month old grand-son.”
Since the incident police have found CCTV records which allegedly show Tinsley, leaving a bar in Pattaya and chasing Adam after getting into his own vehicle.
When Tinsley comes back into camera-shot seven or eight minutes later he uses gestures throwing punches and appears to be telling friends what he did. He then mimics a person dragging an object or body along the ground.
Pickles’ best friend Steve Tomlinson, from Birmingham, Head of Music at the International School of the Regents said today:
“Adam was not a very good driver and the CCTV pictures suggest he might have scraped what I think was a white Toyota Fortuna. It’s a while since I have seen the video.
“But there was not a mark on Adam’s hired car so it could not have been serious. Injuries show he was hit on the back of his head. Part of his skull came off.
“This looks like a cowardly attack from behind by a thug, yet we can see on the video that this man is boasting about what he did. Adam was such a lovely guy. People are very angry here.”
Sources believed to be close to Tinsley however say Pickles broke his skull when he fell back onto the pavement. They say due to the outrage in the case Tinsley will find it difficult to get a fair trial.
Other witnesses including a security guard have now come forward and given information about the incident outside a place called the ‘Paradise Bar’ in Soi Khao Noi, Pattaya.
Sean Tinsley had already been previously arrested in Pattaya. In 2007 he was charged with selling fake visas to long term foreigners in Thailand, who did not want to go through official channels, through his company ‘The Visa Shop’.
He allegedly charged £500 each for the visas to foreigners without work permits or qualifications to stay long term and was believed to be working with a corrupt immigration official.
He was deported, but it is believed to have returned after changing his name by deed poll. He left again after the attack on Pickles and was arrested returning to Thailand on Friday and taken straight from the airport to Banglamuang Police station, North Pattaya.
Feelings have been running high in the resort and many organisations have been donating to help Adam, who formerly taught at the Cathedral School in Wakefield.
After the attack Danielle Nicholls, a former colleague at the Cathedral School said:
“He’s one of those characters that everyone who meets him loves.
“He radiates positivity and makes everyone smile”.
In appeals launched simultaneously in both Britain and Thailand under the name ‘PicklesAid’ some £70,000 was raised to pay for hospital bills and medi-vac Adam Pickles home.
The insurance provided by his school did not cover the full amount. He had previously had a motor-cycle accident in the resort city which had also put him in a coma.
Adam Pickles’ parents still have to raise another £80,000 to pay for the full costs.
Details of how to donate can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/adampickles or www.adampickles.blogspot.co.uk.
Thanks for the report, this is great news.
Now let's see justice.
We all wondered at what had gone on with this poor chap and why no information was forthcoming. Looks like someone clyped (told)on the suspect who had obviously gone out of Thailand to lie low.
Why do I get a funny feeling that this character will be out on bail before too long? He will have all his pals working on his behalf, I would imagine
Hopefully the publicity (of this is picked up by the kcal and UK media) will make it harder for (justice to be perverted) Edit
Hi I think you have got the heights mixed up Sean was only a small man if the facts are correct what a cowardly attack.
We have had to keep what we knew out of the public eye in order to catch him. There is so much anger in Pattaya, the UK and around the world about what this man has done to Adam. Check our Facebook group for evidence of this.
We now need to see the Thai Legal system work to it's very best. (EDITED)
There will be a global outrage if this man buys his way out of this, or if he is not tried for attempted murder. I will use all the power of the 7000 members of the Facebook Group to keep it in the spotlight & in the minds of all at the UK Foreign Office & Parliament
I go to great pains to comply with the law on every point, visa and business wise and it is as difficult as can be too, thanks to Thailand's propensity for letting louts operate illegally with impunity. The way it is set up, one day only sex pats and or criminals will be left who'll jump the syphilis test hoops, or the alternative payola I guess is the goal? Is this really the sort of foreigners Thailand wants to attract? Is whorselling off the women really is OK? Maybe , but want real constructive change? Then foreign women should be encouraged to open businesses and make it not so ridiculously prohibitive. Why not allow them to have sole proprietorships as most are not going to resort to marriage as the foreign men are happy ( at first,anyway-usually ) to do for reasons that are obvious.
I'm sure he'll be charged with attempted murder. The bigger legal question is whether a bail application, if made with a substantial bond, would succeed either initially or when the case is no longer in the headlines in Thailand. Normally bail is granted eventually, but not invariably. Given this man's track record, and previous deportation, the court is likely to say "no" as he would be high risk for running away through Thailand's porous borders. Other quasi-legal tales of woe on this site have no application to this particular case and I think the family and friends of Adam Pickles must be cautiously optimistic.
The evidence in this case is overwhelming and he must be charged with attempted murder and not granted bail based not only on his previous criminal history, but the fact that he could offend in this way again. If this does not happen I would expect an international investigation.
If the Thai authorities do not make an example of this man, the negative impact on tourism and the recruitment of highly skilled UK professionals such as Adam working in Thailand will be severely affected.
I would assume the Board of the Regent's School would want to do everything in their power to support this case with a strong presence in court, showing they care for their staff by supporting this man being sentenced for his brutal actions.
You would imagine with this 'mans' record on fleeing the country when in trouble, the Thai authorities will deny him bail. If not, I believe there will be outrage. Fingers crossed
Unfortunately, we now have to put our faith in the Thai judicial system.
We are drumming up lots of publicity right now.
Hopefully it will help.
Unfortunately we now have to put our faith in the Thai judicial system.
Supporters of Adam are already doing everything they can to increase media awareness of the story in Thailand.
Am I the only one thinking this – if this alleged incident started at a bar that had patrons he was drinking with and who witnessed the start and the alleged incident and then the return to the bar where he is alledged to be boasting about what he had done as per AD info above, then why are some of these people not being charged as an accomplice if they knew what had happened and failed to come forward to have this person arrested sooner.
Good point Dark Side – but that never happens in Thailand or in any other places I know. They could be charged if they went to police and told a lie. What is interesting though is that some of these people have now come out of the woodwork and under false names put out stories saying such things as : 'It was never like that. He hit the guy straight on and the injury came when he fell on the pavement." Whether that's true or not its irrelevant. What's relevant is them keep shtum until now.
Then if any of these people he was boasting to can be identified they should be named and shamed and are not worthy of being called an expat and people should know what these people are prepared to cover up – it may prevent others wanting to associate with them now and in the future – NAME AND SHAME THEM I SAY
It seems to be very clear that if this man is granted bail he will try to escape justice again and will be highly likely to commit further offences. Please let common sense prevail and make sure he remains in custody and faces trial.
He has been remanded in custody now I understand John
Why does this not appear in any local press yet?? Is it because Pattaya Journalism merely consists of Ambulance chasing and loitering at Soi 9 police station?
I believe this little scrote Sean, from Wolverhampton, been in trouble before as hes changed his name a few times by deed poll as he had to do a runner before from Thailand and came back under a different name.
He got done selling dodgy retirement visas from "the visa shop" on soi Buakow, next to Nikom Court. I know he was doing them as one of my friends admitted to getting his regular retirement visa from him for about 25,000bt each yr. Makes me laugh as lots of places doing dodgy visas these days.
EDITED
Benny Hill – Hasn't this been said already?
@Darkside – Posted on July 8th, 2012 at 21:04:27- Totally agree.
@Lee- local papers, mmm, they would actually have readers if they reported news- one of them literally takes 2 minutes to flick through (I'm not interested in opening ceremony's or back slapping). That's the beauty of this site, no matter how hard they try the 'truth will out'.
If the facts of this case are as presented then
1)You hope he will feel the full force of the law for this cowardly attack.
2)If he somehow gets off, then his life should become impossible here due to ex-pat pressure.
In a fair trial, the claim that Adam was hit and hurt his head when he fell will be dismissed immediately by evidence from the doctors who treated him.
Yes been reported before and I was just commenting and providing evidence of his dodgy dealings in visas with the imm dept, but you edited that out already, thanks.
Hi,
One of the saddest and most shameful reports regarding a thug I have heard in a long time.
I pray the Thai police overcome greed and money and do a days work on behalf of the people they are supposed to represent.
I've known Sean tinsley from school days he comes from a village called kingswinford ! I'm really sorry to hear about Adam pickles but nothing surprises me with Sean he allways came across as a bully his nick name was poisoned dwarf , and when I read the part about him bragging to his friends about his assault on Adam I thought to my self that's Sean all over ! If he his granted bail in Thailand he will run as he has done it before some years ago ! That man won't have no regrets only regretting he got caught ! I hope Adam comes round for his family's sake !
Well if you had not named the village which I kept out of the article I might be a lot more suspicious of this email.
AD,
The problem with bail in Thailand is that even for major crimes, bail is a strong possibility unless it can be proven that the accused would, in all probability, attempt to flee. This appears to be a fair assumption in this case.
It will need the power and pull of his employers at the International school and those who were involved in seeking an international warrant to bring this man back to Thailand and needs to be closely monitored by all those involved turning up at court for bail hearings which he will surely attempt to secure.
It does seem the Thai Police are taking this matter seriously. From information given on this site, it appears this has been a brutal and unwarranted attack.
Even if his claims are remotely true (Tinsley) that the damage to the man's head was caused by his hittimg the sidewalk, this was only due to the fact he had been attacked in the first place.
I hope Adam has a speedy recovery and wish his family, friends and all loved ones all the luck in the world.
It would seem that Sean fled the country to bring his son back to his parents home in kingswinford so he must have known what was coming I have spoken to friends who saw him when he was back in uk and knew nothing of the attack but thought it was strange that he left his half Thai son here in uk ! I believe there are many people over here in kingswinford who are glad he's been caught . I hope Adam is improving fingers crossed !!!
It appears Mr Tinsley is out on bail because he was drinking in my bar last night
Whats your bar Jimmy?
Bail eh? Who woudda thunk it.
A previous offender who specialised in bogus documents and forged passports gets bail in a foreign country adjacent to a country where the rule of law is non – existent and a refuge for just about any miscreant in the world with a few bob in his pocket. Any notion that assets might be seized will soon dwindle the longer he is free to salt them away.
Jimmy, you said Tinsley was in your bar the other night. Someone on Thai Visa, who appears to be a friend of the teacher reckons that he is still locked up. Could you have been mistaken?
Great, so he's out on bail? More bad international publicity for Thailand and massive loss of face, cue exuses but inaction.
Seriously though, you would have thought somene in a higher position would have seen that he's a flight risk and realised how this will look and play in the international media and the adverse image it gives of Thailand.
I notice 'Jimmy' hasn't replied to your question Andrew. My understanding is that this guy hasn't got bail at all. Perhaps 'Jimmy' is a pseudonym for someone with an interest in leading this site up the garden path,trying to get you to print false information in an attempt to undermine your credibility! Can't imagine who on earth would want to do such a thing!!
No mistake for sure
Has or hasn't? Another 'sighting' today of him sitting in his shop. I'll attend to this tomorrow.