American claims self-defense as patron says man murdered in Pattaya was "trouble-maker"

[Stoker58]

Golden rule in Thailand.....if it's not your business, don't get involved.

[Khun Paul]

This as per usual is getting hi-jacked by the people who seem to know the answer to everything and nothing.

We know a man died, we know as a fact he was hit, it is being reported that the alleged assailant turned himself in and that he is charged with manslaughter, which in my book is a fiar charge considering someone has died as a result of the incident.

What we do not know is the real reason why, many conflicting reports, at that time any eye-witnesses were probably drunk or at the very least worse for wear through drink. We have no mention of the waitress who apparently had been violently assaulted by the deceased. The BAR in question is not being as forthcoming as they should. basically it is as per usual poor reporting, investigation minimum and some person is going to pay a hefty price

( imprisonment ) because as it is Foreigner against foreigner, they ( the authorities ) do not really care. The BAR gains KUDOS for being the place where it happened. 

<deleted> disaster. 

[boomerangutang]

26 minutes ago, Trouble said:

Somehow I don't think brown envelops will get Jose out of this one that easy.  Two foreigners both probably intoxicated and Jose is a big guy and something tells me he probably used a bit too much force which means he will probably face charges. 

"......something tells me he probably used a bit too much force....."

 

ummm,  an understatement, perchance?

[isaanbanhou]

Accused Killer is a Convicted Killer

 

 

Australian tourist Benjamin Robb killed in Thai bar fight

UPDATED: The man charged over the death of an Aussie in Thailand had killed before when he was a teenager, it can be revealed.

 

news.com.au/world/asia/an-australian-man-has-been-killed-in-brutal-bar-fight-in-pattaya-thailand/news-story/a8a0c7c418cdf9b6433e7640c9c8b666

[atyclb]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

The Thai newspaper this morning tells us the American has a 1994 murder conviction in Florida......go figure.

Polanco was charged with murder in the second degree by North Miami Police in 1993. Court documents seen by news.com.au reveal Polanco, who was then a teenager, killed Michael Cooper after receiving $20 for looking at a problem with Mr Cooper’s car.

“[He] told detectives where he disposed of the murder weapon, which was not recovered, and where he disposed of his own bloody clothing, which was recovered,” the court documents stated.

He was initially sentenced to 12 years in jail but was released after two years behind bars when the charge was downgraded to manslaughter with a firearm. After he was released he spent five years on probation.

He was charged, but not convicted, of carrying a concealed weapon and grand theft auto.

[scottide]

4 hours ago, Donotdisturb said:

Him good heart. Him not idle. Him hero...

Him thug! Him use excessive force to "rescue" the Thai woman.  No CCTV, but previous reports state his thug friends filmed the incident.  Even if deleted the video can be recovered.

[IAMHERE]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

"He admitted that he hit him three to four times but it was self-defence."

     Whatever it was it was not self defence"......... in defence of another ....maybe......but not self defence.    The attacker was not being attacked himself?

By several accounts Mr. Robb did punch the guy first. 

[hottrader77]

10 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

It's just a story so far... Maybe the autopsy will confirm or not ??

the hospital already said he had horrific facial injuries dont think he would get them with just 1 punch , more like stomping on his head 15 times gets those injuries

[AlphMichaels]

To physically assault and harm a woman wouldn't be tolerated in AU or US.  To take the law in your own hands, same-same.  Restrain the guy, call the police, let them handle it.

   

US guy feeling emboldened to take action, predicated on some self-proclaimed form of altruism..., sorry, you still killed him and you wouldn't get away with that back home.  Nor should you here. 

 

At every level, this is a bad (sad) story.

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, thesetat2013 said:

A friend of mine witnessed this incident and stated to me that this man's death was the result of a lack or medical support. It seems that instead of an ambulance arriving to provide oxygen and emergency treatment, that a motorcycle arrived in its place.  Albeit, this can not be proven as the cause of death, but it does make one wonder if this man's life might have been saved if an ambulance had arrived instead

So was it just a single punch or was he stomped on ?

[lanng khao]

9 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

Reports in Australian media appearing to come from family mention the victim just arriving in the country ealier that morning. So i dont know how he managed to get a reputation as a know troublemaker in just a few hours. Doesn't add up.

He might be a frequent traveller,  many stick to the same bars, and what if he had choked that girl to death, and then the american had stepped in,  would everyody say he deserved what he got?.

[cornishcarlos]

2 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

the hospital already said he had horrific facial injuries dont think he would get them with just 1 punch , more like stomping on his head 15 times gets those injuries

 

The hospital said that did they ? That has been confirmed by who exactly ?

Please post a link to the doctors statement, that says he had horrific facial injuries consistent with being stomped on...

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, Happy enough said:

only around 5 years in the UK at the moment although some campaigners are trying to make it a minimum 8 years. There's a case going through the courts there now about some young lad just walking down the street and 2 pissed up blokes walking past and one just punches him. he gets up and walks home and died later that night, some kind of brain injury. there was something like 80 fatalities from one punch in the UK since 2007. that has gone up since the article last year.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38992393

 

Called king hit but now it's being called cowards punch which is much more apt.

[anon789561]

Just now, dinsdale said:

Called king hit but now it's being called cowards punch which is much more apt.

why can't everyone just get along hey. better to just avoid these confrontations and walk away if at all possible

[hottrader77]

6 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

The hospital said that did they ? That has been confirmed by who exactly ?

Please post a link to the doctors statement, that says he had horrific facial injuries consistent with being stomped on...

read the story man , im not going to do it for you 

[SoulWater]

Just another one of the many reasons I steer clear of pattaya - how are they going to boatshow their way out of this one?

[cornishcarlos]

1 minute ago, hottrader77 said:

read the story man , im not going to do it for you 

As I suspected... Another one just taking for granted what is printed in a paper or on TVF !!

I have read all the stories relating to this sad incident. I'll wait for a proper investigation to be concluded, along with an official autopsy confirming cause of death.

 

But just for your benefit, here is the only quote about his facial injuries. There is nothing to indicate that this was from an official source, so purely speculation at this point.

 

"He died from “internal bleeding and severe facial damage as a result of sustained impact to his cranium and skull”, it was reported." 

 

[Happyman58]

Ok if he said was right he was trying to help Thai. But it would of been sufficent just to belt the guy once and call the cops Not stop on his head and take pics Somehow somebody is not telling the truth

[HLover]

25 minutes ago, Stoker58 said:

Golden rule in Thailand.....if it's not your business, don't get involved.

Ohh, your spot on post will ruffle the feathers of the antiquated 'white knight' types.

[HLover]

18 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

So was it just a single punch or was he stomped on ?

Yes.

[jenny2017]

If the American had killed another guy when he was young and stomped on the Australian's head 10to 15 times, he's  guilty of murder.

 

    The Aussie was on the ground, no reason to kill him. It should be easy to see how serious the head injuries are. 

 

   

[poohy]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

So what would you have done? Nothing i presume and just watched a young girl being manhandled and assaulted. Coward.

 Certainly  IMHO this would be  a case where  "Discretion is the better part of valour "

[masuk]

12 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Its been reported in other threads that the cameras were broken so no footage.

Isn't that the usual thing?     CCTVs seem much more unreliable than the average smartphone.

[jenny2017]

2 minutes ago, HLover said:

Yes.

Nope. Perhaps. 

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, Nasrullah said:

Witnesses could be of great value......but this is thailand!

True. My wife was a 'witness' to a road accident, but didn't actually see it. She just repeated what someone else told her. She saw nothing wrong in that.

[jenny2017]

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

True. My wife was a 'witness' to a road accident, but didn't actually see it. She just repeated what someone else told her. She saw nothing wrong in that.

The person that pays more to the cops tells the truth in LOS. 

[sawadee1947]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

American claims self-defense as patron says man murdered in Pattaya was "trouble-maker"

 

so I stomped on his head 20 times when he was unconscious on the floor just to make sure ......................... he was dead 

 

sorry <deleted> but you did what you did and now someone is dead by your actions, in the UK your mates would also be facing serious charges 

 

I advise Thai Police to get a full criminal profile on this psycho, my guess is the USA don't want him back 

 

and people living in pattaya would also not be too happy about this thug on the loose and that includes his scumbag mates who if not being charged should be escorted to the airport and banned from Thailand for life

 

Thai police need to be seen to do the right thing here...................the local community and international media are following this very carefully

 

 

Well you're right. The fatal incident is one case and that his mates let him do the murder is another. They did not interfere and stop this horrible attack. That the victim is said to be a trouble maker might be true but no excuse. They all should have their court case. 

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

If the 2nd version of events had been reported first, everyone would be saying the Aussie got what he deserved.

But it seems the story that appears first is to be believed at all costs !! Never mind that the witness statements have not be confirmed or backed up.

Ah well, just hang him and save the cost to the Thai tax payers...

 

No they wouldn't. 

 

The American admits to hitting him several times which is ironic given some new "witnesses" claim he only hit him once!

 

Grabbing a bar worker isn't acceptable. If the American intervened and then the Aussie turned on him, the American was fully entitled to defend himself. And that defense has to use reasonable force in most legal systems. If he hit him several times, then maybe, possibly, that might have been reasonable depending how drunk and violent the Australian was. But stomping on his head and face, 10-15 times is not only way over the top it's more than likely to kill or have life changing effects. The media reports call the facial and head injuries "catastrophic" which suggests that the initial story was accurate.

 

The problem is as usual here, no CCTV, unreliable witnesses and new stories springing up. Add to that the Keystone NAAFI cops and things will slowly meander away. It will cost the American, probably a lot, but as long as he can pay, grovels to the right people, then it will fade away.

 

I read that the deceased was an expat rather than tourist. Are the American and his friends tourists or expats? Just interested to see their background.

[newatthis]

3 hours ago, Sevenbells said:

"A regular in the Ruby Club who didn't want to be named told Thaivisa that Robb often acted in an aggressive manner and was known by some to be a trouble maker."

 

 

Really?? This is a new one,from an anonymous source,with absolutely no validation.

 

I'm sure the "regular in the Ruby Club" is impartial.
 

According to the the Australian news, he only left Oz on Friday morning so the phrase "Robb often acted in an aggressive manner and was known by some to be a trouble maker." seems to be a bit of an  exaggeration. These words would suggest a long period of time and not the few hours he was in Thailand.

[holy cow cm]

So the Australian guy was a pr*ck and maybe had it coming. I will take the side of good riddance.