Thai court sentences son of Spanish TV star Rodolfo Sancho to life in prison for murder

By Kocha Olarn and James Legge, CNN

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — The son of famed Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho has been found guilty of murdering a Colombian plastic surgeon at a Thai holiday resort before dismembering the body, a senior police officer told CNN.

Daniel Sancho, a chef who made YouTube videos, was sentenced by a Thai court on Thursday to life in prison for killing Edwin Arrieta Arteaga last year in a hotel room on Koh Phangan, an island off the coast of southern Thailand.

The trial heard that the 30-year-old killed Arrieta after the pair had a fight and put parts of his body in plastic bags before discarding them around the island.

Sancho had faced the death penalty. But the court on the island of Koh Samui commuted the sentence to life imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trial.

He had admitted killing Arrieta, but insisted it was not premeditated saying he had acted “out of his extreme anger,” Police Col. Paisan Sangthep, deputy commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police, who attended the hearing, told CNN.

“The court saw his confession to the murder was useful during the trial. So the court commuted the sentence to life imprisonment,” Paisan said.

The court found Sancho guilty on all three charges: premeditated murder, concealment of a body and hiding another person’s documents.

Sancho claimed he killed Arietta in self-defense and admitted to hiding his body, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency. Sancho denied destroying Arrieta’s passport, which has never been found.

Paisan said evidence showed Sancho had made preparations for the killing, suggesting it was premeditated.

“Before committing the murder, the defendant had bought a knife, gloves, plastic bags, garbage bags, (a cleaning sponge), cleaver knife and a saw,” he said.

Before the murder, Sancho had booked a room in a different hotel to where the killing happened, Paisan added.

Sancho’s parents, Silvia Bronchalo and Rodolfo Sancho – who are both actors – appeared in court, Paisan said. Parents of the deceased were not present in the courtroom.

Rodolfo Sancho is one of the most recognizable faces on the small screen in Spain, having starred in hit series “The Ministry of Time” and “Isabel.”

Daniel Sancho was arrested in August last year, soon after the killing of Arrieta, a plastic surgeon from Montería in northern Colombia.

Sancho, who wore a face mask to court, “appeared to accept his fate, with no objection” following his sentencing, Paisan said.

Sancho’s lawyer, Marcos Garcia-Montes, told reporters he would appeal the sentence. Under Thai law, he has the right to appeal to a higher court.

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