A court in Koh Samui sentenced a Spanish chef, the son of a well-known actor, to death for the murder and dismemberment of a Colombian surgeon. The court also ordered him to pay over 4 million baht in compensation to the victim’s family, with an interest rate of 5% per year.
On August 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the Koh Samui Provincial Court in Surat Thani delivered its verdict in the high-profile case involving the murder and dismemberment of a Colombian doctor. The defendant, Daniel Jeronimo Sancho Beauchadow, a 30-year-old Spanish chef and the son of famous Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, was found guilty of multiple charges, including premeditated murder and concealing, moving, or destroying a body to hide the cause of death, as well as tampering with documents belonging to another person in a manner that could cause harm to others or the public, in violation of sections 33, 91, 188, 199, 288, and 289 of the Thai Criminal Code.
The incident occurred in August 2023 when Sancho murdered Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon. He dismembered the body and disposed of the parts at various locations before being apprehended by the police. The crime took place in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani.
Throughout the trial, Sancho denied the charges and remained in custody. After considering testimonies and evidence from both sides, the court concluded that the defendant was guilty as charged.
The court sentenced Sancho to multiple penalties for different offenses, as stipulated in Section 91 of the Thai Criminal Code. For concealing, moving, or destroying a body, he was sentenced to four months in prison. For premeditated murder, he received the death penalty. Additionally, for tampering with another person’s documents, he was sentenced to two years in prison. Sancho’s confession regarding the concealment and destruction of the body was considered a mitigating factor, leading to a reduction of his sentence by half, resulting in two months’ imprisonment.
The court acknowledged that Sancho’s cooperation during the trial, specifically concerning the charge of premeditated murder, warranted a one-third reduction in his sentence. However, the sentence was ultimately commuted to life imprisonment in accordance with sections 78 and 52(1) of the Criminal Code.
Given the life imprisonment sentence, the court did not impose additional penalties for other charges. The court also ordered Sancho to pay compensation of 4,424,000 baht, plus interest at a rate of 5% per year, starting from August 2, 2023, until the full amount is paid to the co-plaintiffs.
If the Ministry of Finance adjusts the interest rate through a royal decree, the revised rate, plus an additional 2% per year, will apply, but not exceeding the maximum rate of 5% per year, as requested by the co-plaintiffs. The court dismissed any other civil claims and ruled that the legal fees in the civil case would be waived, and the seized items would be confiscated.
