Thai man escapes death penalty for killing sister and her Scottish husband

Robyn Hogg of Glasgow, Scotland was left upset and confused when she heard that her parents' murderers had their death sentences overturned. Alan Hogg and Nhot Suddaen were killed in their mansion in Thailand. The woman's brother masterminded the murder over a financial conflict in 2018. In May 2019, the men involved in the murder were convicted and sentenced. Last week, the couple's daughter found out that the sentence had been overturned. She claims the Thai authorities have not given the family a clear idea of the fate of the killers.

64-year-old Alan and 61-year-old Suddaen had been married since 1986 in Edinburgh, Scotland. After raising a family and having a successful career, the Scottish man and his wife moved to Phrae province in Thailand. While living in the country, the woman's brother Warut ­Rattanasajjakit reportedly used to ask the couple for money. This eventually led to a conflict between Alan and his brother-in-law. Rattanasajjakit then decided to kill his sister and her husband.

He tried to get his neighbour, Suma Utpamoon to help him. While the 61-year-old declined, he told his friend d to seek the assistance of Kittipong ­Kamwan and Phia Kamsai. He paid the two men 50k bhat (£1,211) to help him. The men attacked the couple in their home in September 2018. The man from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian was shot with a shotgun while ­Rattanasajjakit bludgeoned his sister using a car wrench.

The men then dug a deep hole and buried the couple on the property. After the couple went missing, their 33-year-old daughter flew to Thailand. An investigation was launched to find them.

Sniffer dogs eventually found the bodies of the couple. Their white Ford Ranger was sold by Rattanasajjakit to a tribe in Sukhothai for £4600. They later sold it to a man in Laos for £9800. The man who bought the car reported it to the police and returned the vehicle, leading to the killers being traced.

The three men pleaded guilty to the murders last year and were sentenced to death by lethal injection. Utpamoon was sentenced to 50-years in prison for aiding Rattanasajjakit. However, his sentence was halved for cooperating with the investigation.

Robyn last week found out that her parent's murderers have been spared the lethal injection. She told the Daily Record that she is not sure if it is one of the culprits or all three who have had their sentence overturned. She claims that the Thai authorities have not clarified her doubts since she received the news.