Loud music at night sparked a bloody conflict that saw a British tourist hacked to death with a sickle in Thailand
A domestic dispute in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi between a local man and two British tourists has resulted in a bloody drama. One of the foreigners was decapitated with a sickle and the other received multiple stab wounds with the same agricultural tool, Thai police said.
The deceased foreigner turned out to be a 49-year-old British national named Marcus Evans. Witnesses said he had started drinking and partying with his friend, 54-year-old British man Sean Dagnan, who had come to visit him on December 17.
Interviewed neighbours living close to the scene said the Brits were playing music loudly, which infuriated the attacker. The friends continued “talking loudly and listening to music” from a portable wireless speaker until midnight, after which locals heard loud shouts.
A decapitated Marcus was seen lying in a pool of blood in front of his neighbours, who had rushed to the scene. The second Briton was also seriously injured and bleeding, so he was immediately taken to hospital. A large amount of blood and an agricultural tool, a sickle, was found at the scene. Scattered beer bottles and a Bluetooth speaker were lying on a marble table.
Marcus’s flatmate Adria Licci, 59, from Italy, who also lives next door, told Britain’s Metro tabloid: “I was friends with both of them, both the deceased and the injured. We were also acquainted with the attacker, had drinks with him earlier and gave him cigarettes.”
“I had never seen the three of them fighting before, until last night when I heard them shouting around three in the morning. I came out of the room to see what had happened and found a wounded and dead man lying on the ground in a pool of blood.”
“We think the problem was caused by the guys listening to loud music, but this can be discussed and resolved peacefully. It shouldn’t have been so violent,” Adria said and added that Marcus Evans had previously lived in the area for five years and Sean Dagnan for three years.
The prime suspect in the gruesome crime, a local 23-year-old man, was arrested and taken into custody on Saturday morning, Police Colonel Somkiart Chomchai said. The suspect was found “trembling and covered in blood” at the time of his arrest.
The alleged attacker is due to appear in court after police are satisfied that the suspect has no mental health problems, police said in a statement.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with the Royal Thai Police following the death of one Briton and the hospitalisation of another in Thailand and are ready to provide consular support.
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