04/01/2006

Murdered Briton ‘possibly raped’

A British student who was found dead on a beach in Thailand might have been raped, local police have revealed.

The body of Katherine Horton, 21, was found in the sea of the island of Koh Samui on Monday morning.

She had last been seen on Sunday night, talking to her family on her mobile phone as she walked along the beach.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that a post-mortem had found that Miss Horton had been hit on the head with a blunt object before being dragged into the sea.

Further tests are being conducted to see if Miss Horton had been raped, but Lieutenant Colonel Thanongsak Aksornsom, chief investigator on Samui Island, said that the police investigation was focusing on rape.

Miss Horton, a psychology student at Reading University, had travelled to Thailand with her friend, fellow student Ruth Adams, on December 27.

Miss Horton’s father, Ian, has travelled to Thailand from the family’s home in Cardiff, while one of her older brothers, Christopher, has also travelled to Thailand from Australia.

South Wales police confirmed that a police officer was accompanying Mr Horton to Thailand.

In a statement, South Wales Police said: "The officer has been sent purely to act in the capacity as a Family Liaison Officer and it is stressed that the intention is not to question or undermine in any way, the investigation already underway by Thai Police."

(KMcA)

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06 January 2006
DNA tests conducted in Thai murder inquiry
Police in Thailand have been collecting DNA samples from a number of men as the search for the killer of British student Katherine Horton. The body of Miss Horton, 21, from Cardiff, was found off the island of Koh Samui on Monday. An autopsy revealed that she had been beaten before being dragged into the sea.
05 January 2006
Thailand murder - father makes appeal
The father of murdered Cardiff student Katherine Horton has made an appeal for information as he visited the murder scene in Thailand. Miss Horton's father, Ian, and older brother, Christopher, visited the beach on the island of Koh Samui where her body was discovered on Monday morning.
13 January 2006
Pair face sentencing for Thailand murder
Two Thai fishermen are awaiting sentence for the rape and murder of British tourist Katherine Horton. Bualoi Posit, 23 and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, pleaded guilty to the charges against them at the court in Surat Thani in southern Thailand. The case has now been adjourned until Wednesday, when the men will face sentencing.
17 January 2006
Funeral held for Katherine Horton
A family funeral service has been held today for Katherine Horton, the backpacking student who was murdered in Thailand on New Year's Day. Around 200 mourners attended the service at St Isan's Church in Llanishen, including Miss Horton's parents and her two brothers. Following the service the coffin was taken to Thornhill Crematorium.
12 January 2006
Trial begins in Thai murder case
The trial of two fishermen accused of the rape and murder of British student Katherine Horton has begun in Thailand. The trial of Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, had been brought forward due to pressure from Thailand's government over the case.