Last Tuesday, April 9, the trial against Daniel Sancho for the alleged murder of Edwin Arrieta began. The Spanish chef, son of the actor Rodolfo Sancho and grandson of Sancho Gracia, has witnessed the first three hearings in which witnesses called to testify by the Prosecutor’s Office have appeared in the Samui Court.
Perhaps the high number of kilometers of distance prevents the trial from receiving the same media coverage in Spain as it would have had if the events investigated had taken place within national borders. Thus, We resolve some of the most repeated questions in recent days regarding the case.
What is Daniel Sancho accused of?
The reconstruction of the facts is key to understanding the future of the case. Supposedly, Daniel Sancho and Edwin Arrieta stayed in Thailand on July 31, 2023 to enjoy a vacation together. Nevertheless, the disconnection time ended up leading to the death of the surgeon with the subsequent dismemberment of his corpse.
The Thai Prosecutor’s Office accuses Daniel Sancho of three crimes: premeditated murder, concealment of the body and destruction of Arrieta’s documentation. Precisely Proving premeditation surrounding the surgeon’s death is the main task of the Thai Public Prosecutor’s Office.since it will be differential for the final penalty.
What is your defense based on and who are your lawyers?
Daniel Sancho’s defense is based on the fact that Arrieta’s death was not only not premeditated, but was the result of a struggle. Sancho, according to his version, wanted to end his relationship with the Colombian, something that the victim did not take very well and that led to a physical fight. The one who was the number two police officer in the country at the time of the event, Big Joke, assured that Sancho punched Dr. Arrieta, who fell and hit his head on the sink. But he did not die at that moment, but when Sancho began to cut his throat.
The task of defense therefore seems arduous. A representation that is exercised from Spain by two Spanish offices: the law firm Marcos García-Montes and that of Carmen Balfagn and Ramn Chippirs, specialized in criminology. However, they cannot carry out their work in the Asian country, so that function falls to the public defender Aprichat Srinuel.
When are you expected to testify?
The festivities for Songkran or the Buddhist Year have caused a break in the trial, which will resume with more witness statements on April 17. It will be eight days later, from the 25th, when the defense calls Daniel Sancho and his father, Rodolfo, to appear.
How long does the trial last?
The forecast is that the hearings will end on May 3although the investigating judge may terminate the trial when he considers whether he understands that the information obtained is sufficient to render a verdict. In total, if all the sessions are completed, there will be 16 views in total, four per week from Tuesday to Friday.
What penalty are you facing?
In the worst case scenario for Sancho’s interests – this assumption being understood as the Justice proving that there was premeditation in the murder – the maximum penalty that can fall on him is death. Still, It is rare for Thailand to carry out capital punishment, as there are only three cases in the last twenty years. Be that as it may, Sancho could even beg the king’s pardon to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment.
The crimes of hiding a body and destroying documents carry prison sentences of between one and five years. For all this, if it is understood that there was no premeditation, two options are open: acquittal or a sentence of six years in prison for non-serious reckless homicide.
Could he serve his sentence in Spain?
In 1983, Spain and Thailand sealed an agreement for the transfer of their national prisoners who commit crimes in the other country. However, its application is not immediate or even simple. This means that, in principle, Daniel Sancho will be able to serve part of his sentence in Spain as long as he is not sentenced to death. Of course, the procedures would be especially complex given the media nature of the topic.
In fact, there is no precedent in Thailand for the transfer of prisoners sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Marcos Garca-Montes, Sancho’s lawyer, has denounced irregularities in the trial and points out that, If he is sentenced to six years, he could be transferred to Spain with a third of the sentence.
Is there a possibility of reaching an agreement?
The legal advisor of Edwin Arrieta’s family, Juan Gonzalo Ospina, spoke out in recent days in favor of reaching an agreement with Daniel Sancho before the trial ends. The condition they demand is that Sancho ask for public forgiveness from the victim’s family, recognize premeditation and try to financially compensate for the damage of his loss. We do not seek revenge, we seek justiceaggregate.
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