A Brit accused of murdering a Thai woman has finally been extradited to Thailand after years of legal wrangles.
Tourist Shane Kenneth Looker, 51, picked up the strip club dancer Laxami Manochat, 31, on the second night of his holiday in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 1, 2014.
A murder investigation was launched after Laxami’s dismembered body was found stuffed into a suitcase dumped in a river 95 miles away in Kanchanaburi province on November 9.
She was still wearing black stilettos, a black dress and her underwear. Looker has denied any involvement in her death.
Officers who checked CCTV footage from the Hot Lips bar in the Nana Plaza saw a well-built Brit – believed to be Looker -leaving with Laxami, whose nickname was ‘Pook’.
They began searching for Looker but he allegedly later fled across the country’s southern border with Malaysia before returning to his home in Ibiza, where he is said to have owned a hotel.
After almost a decade of appeals and legal cases to have Looker extradited, Thai police finally arrested him and walked with him in handcuffs after landing at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand on Friday.
Police chief Major General Suwat Chaengyodsuk said Looker was ‘uncooperative’ but vowed to ‘interrogate’ him over the death.
He said: “This is the first time this kind of operation has taken place. It was important that the suspect was tracked down and brought to justice. We worked closely with the Spanish police in Madrid to make this a success.
“I have given strict instructions to avoid any accidents to the suspect’s life or property. People must trust the legal process to continue correctly.
“Mr Looker refused to give testimony after arriving in Thailand so he has been taken to the district police station for further questioning and interrogation. He will not escape this time. It is our duty to see justice done for our people.”
Spanish police arrested Looker, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire in June 2017 and he was remanded in custody amid legal struggles to have him sent to Thailand where prosecutors had built a case against him.
The Spanish High Court ruled in July 2017 that he should be extradited but his legal team lodged a series of appeals in 2018 and 2019.
The European Court of Human Rights sitting in Strasbourg ruled on May 25 that Looker should be extradited from Spain to face justice in Thailand.
They cited extensive case files submitted by the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok which allegedly proved that Looker was the man who had murdered the Thai woman.
Thai authorities have also reportedly offered assurances required under EU law that Looker will not be mistreated or face the death penalty if found guilty.
EU judges also a criticised alleged deliberate attempts by Looker’s legal team to delay the case through a series of appeals.
The court claimed Looker’s could not succeed on the basis of ‘failure to exhaust domestic remedies’.
“The applicant knew that he could have lodged an appeal for Amparo against the judicial decision of the Spanish High Court during the extradition process,” it declared.
Looker’s legal representative Jason Coghlan had previously claimed that his client denied any involvement in the death of the woman.
He said: “He has told me categorically he had absolutely nothing to do with this woman’s murder.”
