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Thai murder victim inquest opens Thai murder victim's last hours
(about 4 hours later)
The inquest on a 21-year-old student who was raped and murdered in Thailand last year is to open in Cardiff later. The best friend of a student murdered while they were travelling in Thailand has told an inquest of the last time she saw her alive.
Katherine Horton, from Cardiff, was attacked on New Year's Day 2006 as she made a phone call on a Koh Samui beach. Ruth Adams said Katherine Horton, 21, "wandered off" down a beach on the island of Koh Samui with her phone on the evening of New Year's Day 2006.
The Reading University third-year psychology student's body was found floating in the bay 12 hours later. Reading University student Ms Horton, of Cardiff, was raped and killed by two fishermen now serving life sentences.
A verdict of unlawful killing was recorded at the inquest in Cardiff.
Ms Adams told the hearing they had decided to go to Thailand for two weeks at the end of 2005 as they planned to go travelling together when they finished university and wanted to see what it was like.
She said they had met at university where they were both studying psychology and "just connected".
Ms Adams said they spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day together on the island of Koh Samui and made friends with some Scottish and Australian boys.
On the evening of New Year's Day 2006, she said they went for a meal at a nearby restaurant with two of the Scottish boys, Wes and Callum.
The two killers had their death sentences commuted to life in jailThey had planned to go and watch a Thai boxing match, she said, but got carried away talking and decided to go back and sit outside the beach hut where she and her friend were staying.
She said the two Australian boys they had met earlier also joined them.
Ms Adams said: "We were trying to decide what to do that evening. The boys wanted to go into town but Katherine was quite tired and I wasn't fussed.
"Katherine went into the hut and turned on her phone and while we were chatting, she just wandered off down the beach a little bit.
"She was holding her phone like she was about to use it."
Ms Adams said: "I could then see her looking like she was talking on the phone and paddling in the sea."
She told the inquest that at that point Ms Horton was between 20 and 30 yards away from her.
"She stood there for a while and the boys decided to go into town but I said I was going to wait for her."
Her body was found floating in the bay 12 hours later.
Two fishermen, Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, and Bualoi Posit, 23, were condemned to death, but their sentences were commuted to life in jail after appeal.Two fishermen, Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, and Bualoi Posit, 23, were condemned to death, but their sentences were commuted to life in jail after appeal.
Ms Horton was attacked on the beach where she and a friend had rented accommodation. The murder was on the beach where the student was staying Somkhaoyai and Posit, who had been drinking and watching pornography, beat her with the parasol pole of a beach umbrella, raped her and then dumped her out at sea, where she drowned.
Somkhaoyai and Posit, who had been drinking and watching pornography, beat her with the parasol pole of a beach umbrella, raped her and then dumped her out at sea, where she drowned.
Her body was discovered in the sea by a water biker on 2 January.Her body was discovered in the sea by a water biker on 2 January.
Katherine Horton was killed on 1 January 2006
The pair admitted rape and murder charges after their arrest and the then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to call for the "harshest possible punishment" for the men.The pair admitted rape and murder charges after their arrest and the then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to call for the "harshest possible punishment" for the men.
They were sentenced to death by lethal injection but immediately appealed against their sentences.They were sentenced to death by lethal injection but immediately appealed against their sentences.
The pair's lawyer claimed they were convicted solely on DNA evidence and that they confessed to her murder "out of a sense of remorse".The pair's lawyer claimed they were convicted solely on DNA evidence and that they confessed to her murder "out of a sense of remorse".
He said they were appealing on grounds that the death penalty was "too harsh" and that their conviction was secured without eyewitnesses.He said they were appealing on grounds that the death penalty was "too harsh" and that their conviction was secured without eyewitnesses.
The death sentences were commuted to life sentences in November.The death sentences were commuted to life sentences in November.
The student's family have said they hope that "life means life" for the men and said they wished to let the Thai judicial procedure run its course.The student's family have said they hope that "life means life" for the men and said they wished to let the Thai judicial procedure run its course.