Thai police arrest gunman for murder of tourist
Police in Thailand have arrested a 26-year-old Thai man for allegedly killing a British holidaymaker who was caught in the crossfire between two Thai groups at a beach resort in Koh Phangan.
Police said the man confessed to killing Stephen Ashton, 22, a city trader, during an exchange of fire with another group of men who allegedly fired at his group.
Police quoted the suspect as claiming that his group was outnumbered during a fight at about 5am on January 1, so he decided to use his homemade gun to protect himself. Ashton was hit accidentally.
Ashton was dancing on the sand when he was caught in the crossfire.
In a separate incident, Thai police have arrested three suspects in the rape of two Russian tourists in Pattaya.
The Russian women told police they were abducted and thrown into a pickup truck by three men on the morning of December 25 as they were walking back to their hotel after celebrating Christmas Eve.
They said their abductors took them to a forested area near a reservoir outside Pattaya, where they robbed and raped them at knifepoint and gunpoint.
Ian Jarrett
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