SHOW US YOUR PROOF – LAWYERS SAY.
Lawyers representing Shane Looker, the 45-year-old Briton accused of murdering a Bangkok prostitute, chopping up her body, putting it in a suitcase and throwing it into a river have reacted furiously to an attempt by Thai Police to put out an Interpol Red Notice.
They claim they have evidence which totally contradicts the Thai police version of events even though Looker,45, a builder from Stoke-on-Trent, admitted he had bought out Laksami Manochat, of Sisiket, North East Thailand from the Rainbow 4 bar in Bangkok’s Nana Plaza.
So confident are lawyers of Looker’s innocence that despite Thailand’s accusatory system of justice, where defendants have to prove they are not guilty, they say they will accompany him personally to the Thai police this week possibly accompanied by British media.
“Thanks to statements coming from Thailand this man has been totally vilified in the British and international press as well,” said Jason Coghlan, of JaCog Law. “He has to surrender to clear his name.”
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| Pook |
Interpol have yet to put out a Red Notice for Looker.
This may be because of administrative delays, or because certain criteria has not been met.
The Interpol office in Lyons would have had to study the arrest warrant issued by a Kanchanaburi judge.
Thai police claim that DNA tests on nail clippers, a toothbrush and skin under the victim’s nails have connected Looker to her murder.
But in a statement published through lawyers in the Sunday People in the UK today Looker said:
“Yes, I did know her. I’m happy to accept that I spent time with her.
“She is a bar girl that I knew previously and I accept that I paid the bar fine (cash given to the bar to take a girl away).
“There is no way in the world that I’d ever hurt any woman let alone kill her.
“This is a despicable crime which I vehemently deny. I look forward to proving my innocence in the fullness .I have been advised to get my affairs in order so that I can surrender to the appropriate authorities with a properly instructed legal team.”
The massive hue and cry for Looker appears to have started after the owner of a blog in Thailand called ‘Stickboy’ published a report of a tip off, possibly from a Hua Hin Brit stating that Looker had been identified as the chief suspect.
Contrary to Thai reports that Looker had fled to Malaysia he is now reported to have gone on a Visa run to Penang from his home in Hua Hin.
“Investigators believe he fled by train to neighbouring Malaysia with the aim of reaching the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza where he owns property,” Stickboy reported.
Jason Coghlan, PR director of JaCogLaw legal service, with offices near Looker’s Bangkok home, told the Sunday People: “We have been contacted by Shane Looker.
The blog also repeated claims, which it admitted were unsubstantiated that Looker was wanted in connection with two other murders in Northern Thailand.
Thai Police have since admitted this is not true.
“He has told me categorically he had absolutely nothing to do with this woman’s murder. We have advised him he needs to hand himself in to the authorities,’ added Mr. Coglan.
“But his concern, and ours as his legal advisers, is that this takes place in conditions which don’t affect his ability and right to defend himself against these very serious accusations.”
Mr Coghlan added: “The DNA that’s said to have been found doesn’t make him guilty of murder, nor does the fact he was with her shortly before she disappeared.
“There’s an inherent unfairness in trying to defend yourself when you’re in a Thai prison and haven’t had a chance to get your financial affairs in order.
“That’s something that needs to be addressed.
“Looker is obviously aware that it’s far better for him to hand himself in before he’s caught.”
Mr Coghlan added: “If the Thai authorities believe that they need to arrest him so they can ascertain whether he played a role in this woman’s murder, that’s fair enough.
“But if an innocent man is arrested and thrown into prison without any access to money with which to properly defend himself, there is obviously a much higher risk of a miscarriage of justice.”
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| Leaving Nana Plaza |
While Looker booked out of Laksami ‘Pook’ Manochat out of the Nana Plaza on November 1st Thai Police have presented no evidence of Looker and her leaving the hotel to go anywhere together, says lawyers.
All they have is CCTV footage of Looker leaving Nana Plaza with Pook on the last night he booked her out,
Private detectives have been employed to back Looker’s claims as to what both he and Pook did next.
It is believed they wish to present Thai police with not only witness evidence, but also physical evidence to rule their client out of enquiries.
This happened after Looker contacted Jason Coglan whom he had met in Hua Hin. Jason is the brother or Arran Coghlan, known in Britain as the Teflon Don, and has featured on this website.
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| Nana Engtertainment Plaza – Bangkok – the master lease of which is controlled by British boiler room operators |
Pook’s body was found over a week afterher booking with Looker in the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi.
Looker appears to be well known in Hua Hin went to the gym regularly and may have upset local foreigners in one or two incidents in the town.
Most Nana girls have Thai boyfriends, or girlfriends.
The last thing you want to do when circumstantial evidence exists (at least of association) is have your legal rep put up a defense of the "legal system is unfair" (whether that be the case or not). Then, on the other hand, why would the legal rep advise his client through the media to hand himself in? Bizarre. It seems like JaCog Law carries some weight in Thailand.
"All Brit wanted was 'love'". Who came up with that heading – Shane Looker, his lawyers, or the author of this article (smile)? Although this statement may have been said "tongue in cheek", this is a major problem. Too many expats, especially Brits, come to Pattaya, fall in love and then do crazy things like jump off buildings. Pattaya even has a special temple (wat) that looks after these, lets say, untimely deaths. Does the Thai police force have adequate resources to investigate these numerous untimely deaths? Most probably not. As alluded to at the bottom of this article, a lot of unbiased police work needs to be done in checking the backgrounds of both the victim and the accused. In the case of the victim was there a jealous girlfriend/ boyfriend in the background? For the accused is there a history of mental illness and violence? Because of the severity of the crime, this investigation should also include a background check of the accused's history in the UK. I hope this isn't another case of we couldn't stop the accused traveling to Thailand because he was mentally well at time of departure or, even worse, he's done his time for assault/battery.
Guilty. Its a hark back to when tabloid newspapers in the UK had difficulty using the word sex and replaced it with love.
His lawyer certainly seems to have an interesting background and appreciation
of the law. Rumpole would be proud.
Did he go to the same law school as Goldie of the Bailey?
There are certainly some interesting expats in Thailand.
No Jason Coglan was a villains villain so to speak of the bank robber variety. Violent and to the point but following a certain code. Goudie rips of old ladies and those in unfortunate positions and is a sneak thief and talks total bullshit. If the two met I would not be the person standing behind Goudie. They are chalk and cheese. Jason started a law firm because I guess he has learned a lot about the law and what works and what does not, He's pragmatic. I think he is impressed that I did not flinch when he pretended to stick a gun in my back in Bangkok. He is of course totally reformed 🙂
He is not in Thailand but of course has famously visited it. Tooled up. Google – Gangland in Britain – Hua Hin. Dinkie's enforcer, Having a beer with Jason is infinitely more amusing than small talk with Goudie.
You think his law firm would like to take on my cases against really crap failed criminals Brian GOLDIE and Drew Noyes?
Not entirely clear where he is…if in Thailand hu must be 'on the run' if there's an arrest warrant issued for him…
Close I would imagine 🙂
This case has all the hallmarks of the RTP's penchant for "solving" crimes by making the suspect fit the crime through manipulation of circumstantial evidence.
The use of language adding some spice to their scenario is another key to building a case i.e. he "fled Thailand " on 22 November, some three weeks after the murder. Of course that it was in all likelihood simply a visa run is neither here nor there. Personally, if I were to have killed someone and dismembered their body in a foreign place I rather think I would have left a tad quicker than that.
I have gleaned from another report that the RTP had located a taxi driver who apparently took Mr.Looker from his hotel in Soi 5 Sukhumvit to his home in Hua Hin on the morning of 2 November, the day after he bought the girl out of the Nana bar. Doubtless, if this proves inconvenient to the prosecution then I should imagine it will simply disappear.
Killing a person, chopping the corpse into smaller pieces and then dumping the evidence without detection in isolated circumstances some 100 miles from one's hotel in Bangkok, and a further 150 miles from one's home in Hua Hin, does require considerable preparation, a fair degree of local knowledge and a strong motive, all of which does not seem to apply to Mr. Looker.
The absence of any evidence linking Mr. Looker to the murder is perhaps not as significant as the unsurprising fact his guilt has already been assumed.
This is a complicated situation for both parties.
Firstly. If he has money he could just pay and get a smack on the wrist.
But if he can prove he is not the killer the RTP have a bigger problem. HOW DO THEY GET PAID?
Probably dismissed after 20 minutes deliberation in the chief of police office
Nevertheless, it is quite likely Mr. Looker is not necessarily the paragon of virtue wintering himself in tropical climes to escape the rigours of a hard working life in dreary Britain.
The denunciatory but possibly malicious information that he is a 'roid head addicted to work outs is somewhat symptomatic of a type whose strength and fitness are considered prerequisites in certain occupational fields. The apparent disclosure that he appears to own properties in three countries and is able to travel between them at his whim suggests a significant source of income but as yet there has been no reference to its source in any reports. Reading between the lines would lead one to a certain conclusion.
Still, I may be doing him an injustice and he is a paragon of something or other but judging from his personal appearance, his choice of apparel and his leisure pursuits, and the fact that he has now chosen Mr Coghlan as his legal representative, there certainly does seem ample grounds for concluding he is a man of some history.
Hua Hin does seem to have its fair share of criminals.
More than its fair share I would say, but perhaps not in the Thai context
Echo's of Stein Dokset
"Echo's of Stein Dokset"… and about a thousand other farang.."I didn't do it. I was…er..
Signed,
The lowest common denominator