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Thai murder victim's last hours Thai murder victim's last hours
(40 minutes 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.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.
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.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.
Reading University student Ms Horton, of Cardiff, was raped and killed by two fishermen now serving life sentences.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.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. Ms Adams said they had decided to go to Thailand for two weeks at the end of 2005 as they planned to travel together when they finished university.
She said they had met at university where they were both studying psychology and "just connected". They had met at university where they were both studying psychology and "just connected". Her friend was "bubbly and easy to get to know".
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. She said "We wanted to see the beaches and elephants, go swimming in waterfalls and chill out a bit more."
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. They spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day together and made friends with some Scottish and Australian boys.
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. I didn't get any help from the British Embassy. I only saw them for five minutes Ruth Adams, friend
She said the two Australian boys they had met earlier also joined them. On 1 January, they went for a meal with two of the Scottish boys, before going back to sit outside their beach hut and the two Australian boys 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.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.
'Disappeared from view'
"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."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.""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."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. The murder was on the beach where the student was staying At that point Ms Horton was between 20 and 30 yards away from her. She was walking along the beach, and then she disappeared from view.
"She stood there for a while and the boys decided to go into town but I said I was going to wait for her." Friends asked Ms Adams if she wanted to go into town with them, but she refused, and after 10 minutes, she began looking for Ms Horton.
Her body was found floating in the bay 12 hours later. She told the court: "I walked down the beach shouting her name on the path she would have walked, close to the sea."
Ms Adams kept walking up and down the beach, calling her friend's name, until 11pm. She then returned to their hut, leaving a note for her on the door.
When she woke up between 6.30am and 7am the next day, she was struck with the realisation her friend had not returned. Outside the hut, she saw the note and also her friend's trainers had gone.
She said she spent the next day searching for her friend, as she had been told she could not report her missing for 24 hours.
It sounds like it was horrific Cardiff coroner Mary Hassell to Ruth Adams
When she reported the disappearance to police at about 3pm she was questioned and it was there that she was told that her body had been found.
When asked by Ms Hassell if she had received assistance in Thailand, Ms Adams said she had not.
The two killers had their death sentences commuted to life in jail"I didn't get any help from the British Embassy," she said. "I only saw them for five minutes."
She said she was told she wouldn't be able to fly home for a month, and that she would not be given a translator.
When she tried to leave on 5 January, police called her in for questioning and told her she wouldn't be able to leave without going through a Thai court.
Ms Adams, who had not slept for four days at this point, said while she was at the airport, her boarding pass, camera and phone were taken by Thai police.
She said: "I later found out they had taken copies of pictures and sold them to the press. I didn't submit any pictures."
Ms Adams nodded in agreement when Ms Hassell said: "It sounds like it was horrific."
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.
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.
Her body was discovered in the sea by a water biker on 2 January.
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.
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.
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.