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UPDATE Phuket Local Confesses to Tourist Bashing: Illegal Drugs Found on American
By Chutima Sidasathian Monday, October 27, 2014
BASHING victim Jonathan Mark Lemley will face charges alleging possession of cocaine, ya bah and ya ice as soon as he recovers, Phuket police said on Tuesday. Samples of all the drugs were found in his pocket after he was knocked into a coma. Mr Lemley had been behaving erratically. It's not known whether he was tested for drugs in hospital.
PHUKET: A young local has confessed to inflicting head injuries on an American motorcyclist who was found lying on a Phuket beach earlier this week.
Kitti Keeratiwatthananusai, 18, went to Karon Police Station about 12.30pm today to confess to assaulting American tourist Jonathan Mark Lemley, 28, at the local beach.
Khun Kitti told officers that he was helping his uncle pull in fishing nets early in the morning on Karon beach when he noticed the American trying to ride his motorcycle into the sea.
The American was very drunk, Khun Kitti said. As he tried to stop the American from riding his motorcycle into the sea, the American pushed him away. Khun Kitti hit the American with a lump of wood.
When he saw an account of the finding of the American on Karon beach he responded by going to the police station.
Mr Lemley appeared to be acting irrationally by riding around Karon Circle for about 30 minutes, trying to stand his motorcycle up on one wheel.
He was found on the beach with a serious head injury and remains in the intensive care unit at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
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Comments
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...to put fishing nets in Karon....? do they depart off Karon for fishing or trying to capture some leisurely holiday makers? can it be that people get drowned there because of these nets?
The kid obviously is still not very good in the art of tale-making, as the bike was found standing on the road (if that was one of the victim, or otherwise , Where is a bike?), the victim's pockets were profoundly emptied, and then punished victim was left to fell his punishment well at the beach..
It seem that the victim simply fall an easy target for robbery, may be in addition he meanwhile somehow invoke angry mood of the kid.
Would the kid perform the prescribed punishment with more rigor , it would be almost half of the Koh Tao case.
Posted by
Sue
on
October 28, 2014 01:57
Editor Comment:
Photos in the original story show the victim's motorcycle on the beach.
That kid needs serious help like most Thai youth,,,,,and adults....I didn't like what he was doing so I hit him over the HEAD with a piece of timber and stole his wallet, ahh ok that makes it an acceptable action, the land of smiles no more.
Posted by
coxo
on
October 28, 2014 08:05
Editor Comment:
There is no suggestion the wallet was stolen and the boy struck the American in retaliation, according to what's been learned so far. The American was allegedly high on ya bah, yah ice and cocaine. The boy's story holds up. As you are probably aware, the US is not a land of smiles, it never has been and it may never become one. Why blame ''most Thai youth'' for an incident that is clearly a one-off?
I can see the logic with the kid trying to stop the "crazy american" driving into the sea, the kid probably wieghs 60 kilo max and a drunk crazy bigger farang is a big obstacle a piece of wood was his only option. The kid probably saved his life otherwise we would be reading about another drowning or motorcycle fatality.
and yes Sue they still fish on Karon Beach go there early in the morning and you will see.
Posted by
Michael
on
October 28, 2014 08:23
Editor Comment:
There is no reason at this stage to disbelieve the boy. All the evidence so far points toward a tourist, half-crazed on drugs, trying to drive a motorcycle into the sea . . . something a good young local lad might rightly try to stop. What happened after that will probably be told in court at Mr Lemley's trial.
'Found' and 'Possessing' are two different things and given recent fit ups on the island ( not publicised here) it may be wise not to pass judgement too soon. Pushing returned by being clubbed to the point of a coma would be considered excessive by some. There are two sides to BOTH stories and another account may be forthcoming when the American wakes up.
Posted by
Mister Ree
on
October 28, 2014 09:46
Editor Comment:
Just what 'fit ups' are you talking about and what evidence can you produce? Otherwise, just more anonymous MR hot air . . . what's certainly true, though, is that police will be waiting anxiously to hear what Mr Lemley has to say.
So this guy was riding around Karon for at least 30 minutes, apparently causing a disturbance, and still no Police anywhere around. There are plenty of stupid tourists that need to be protected from themselves. Not to mention the fact that this could have ended up much worse.
Posted by
Tim
on
October 28, 2014 10:09
Yeah that makes perfect sense.. 'save' him from irrational actions by bashing him into a coma with a lump of wood.
Posted by
LivinLOS
on
October 28, 2014 10:32
Editor Comment:
Both parties are likely to face charges and the courts will decide who is at fault.
Lets see if I get this right the young man wanted to help save the American but when the American pushed him away the young man found a piece of wood and hit he American over the head and left him lying on the beach and called no one in order to help him. Got to love the wanting to help angle of the story.
Posted by
mike
on
October 28, 2014 11:19
Editor Comment:
There may have been more to it before the lad felt he had to retaliate. Perhaps the initial account is too kind to the allegedly drug-crazed American tourist.
Have you ever witnessed a group of Thai's bashing someone Ed, I have, it's not a one off, it is now common practice to use a weapon, he could have left him alone, certainly not hit him over the head with a piece of timber and nearly kill him. Thailand was the LOS not the US Ed, now it most definitely is not.
Posted by
coxo
on
October 28, 2014 12:13
Editor Comment:
What has a group of Thais bashing someone got to do with this case, coxo? Let me answer that question because you might not get it right and I do so want you to understand: nothing.
Treat each case separately, coxo, assume nothing, and try not to allow bigotry to pervert your sense of justice.
morisen..forever the thai apologist...pathetic!!
Posted by
James
on
October 28, 2014 13:02
Editor Comment:
James, you're a dingbat doomsayer. You can't tell right from wrong and even which way is up may be too difficult for you at times. Leave all discussion to intelligent people, please.
It has to do with the mentality of young Thai's now and what they witness and now deem the norm, hence look at that crazy man, I think I will smash him over the head with a lump of wood, he is still unconscious now. His actions could have been murder. You really do have a weird attitude to the obvious changes happening within Thai society, it's called the head in a bucket of sand syndrome or in your case firmly wedged between your legs!
Posted by
coxo
on
October 28, 2014 14:08
Editor Comment:
Your attitude is the problem, coxo, in assuming that everyone fits into your IKEA pigeon holes. What's abnormal is that you believe this stuff. Sad, really.
Is this really the Phuket Wan editor making the comments in this string, or just someone who chose the alias "Editor"? I can't believe any reputable journalist would engage in this sort of exchange.
Posted by
Cordelia Dean
on
December 9, 2014 03:15
Editor Comment:
You may not be capable of telling a reputable journalist from any other kind, Cordelia. All editors have opinions and sometimes express them without declaring them.
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...to put fishing nets in Karon....? do they depart off Karon for fishing or trying to capture some leisurely holiday makers? can it be that people get drowned there because of these nets?
The kid obviously is still not very good in the art of tale-making, as the bike was found standing on the road (if that was one of the victim, or otherwise , Where is a bike?), the victim's pockets were profoundly emptied, and then punished victim was left to fell his punishment well at the beach..
It seem that the victim simply fall an easy target for robbery, may be in addition he meanwhile somehow invoke angry mood of the kid.
Would the kid perform the prescribed punishment with more rigor , it would be almost half of the Koh Tao case.
Posted by Sue on October 28, 2014 01:57
Editor Comment:
Photos in the original story show the victim's motorcycle on the beach.