The Phuket Court has rejected the appeal filed by Daniel Sancho—sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of Colombian national Edwin Arrieta in Thailand—and will not order a retrial, as the defense had requested. The judges ruled out any “need for new evidence requested by the defendant” and rejected the victim’s parents’ request to increase their compensation, according to an official statement cited by Efe.
“Everything remains as it was. Obviously, we do not agree with the ruling,” said Ramón Chipirrás, a member of Daniel Sancho’s defense team. “We know they denied the need for new witnesses, and not much else. Key points of the appeal—such as the reference to Thai law requiring statements to be recorded or the request for a change of venue—were not addressed,” he explained in a phone conversation. The team will wait to receive the written ruling before conducting a more detailed analysis. Having exhausted the initial appeal stage, the parties may also appeal to the Supreme Court.
Lawyers representing the Arrieta family in Spain are weighing their next procedural steps and plan to issue a statement later today; meanwhile, Metapon Suwancharen—the legal representative who attended the hearing in Thailand—stated that they were satisfied with the outcome and would not appeal to the Supreme Court. A new court session had originally been scheduled for October 7 to resolve a claim filed by the private prosecution.
However, it is unclear whether this will actually take place, as the parties consider the matter fully resolved following this Friday’s hearing. Sancho was convicted of the premeditated murder and dismemberment of Edwin Arrieta, which took place on August 2, 2023, on the Thai island of Koh Phangan. The ruling held that the Spaniard—now 32 years old—planned the crime and struck the Colombian plastic surgeon, whom he had met up with for a vacation, with the “intent to kill.” He was also ordered to pay approximately 107,000 euros (4 million baht, the official Thai currency) in compensation to the deceased’s family, who had relied on him financially.
The crime garnered significant media attention, particularly on television, because Sancho is the son and grandson of Spanish actors Rodolfo Sancho and Sancho Gracia, respectively. His mother is investment analyst Silvia Bronchalo. Arrieta’s dismembered remains were discovered in various locations across the island, including the sea. Premeditated murder carries the death penalty in Thailand; however, the judge noted in the ruling that Sancho’s initial confession to the police served as a mitigating factor, resulting in the sentence being reduced to life imprisonment.
