Thai court rejects migrants’ appeals in killings of 2 Brits

BANGKOK – A defence adviser says a Thai court has rejected the appeals of two Myanmar migrants who were found guilty of murdering two British backpackers.

The bodies of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge were found in 2014 on the shore of a resort island in the Gulf of Thailand. Their deaths threatened to tarnish Thailand’s tourism industry, putting intense pressure on investigators to solve the case.

Lawyers, relatives, and rights groups say the investigation was botched by police. Win Zaw Htun and Zaw Lin testified they were threatened with death if they did not confess.

Defence team adviser Andy Hall said the verdict rejecting the migrants’ appeals was read a week ago but they weren’t informed until Wednesday.

The defence plans an appeal to Thailand’s Supreme Court, for a final decision.