A Thai court has sentenced YouTube chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a member of a famous Spanish entertainment family, to life in prison for premeditated murder in a shocking case that shocked Spain.
The 30-year-old was convicted of the August 2023 murder of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old plastic surgeon from Colombia, while the pair were on Koh Phangan, Thailand Vacation.
The case attracted huge attention in Spain because the defendant’s father, Rodolfo Sancho, is a well-known actor, and dozens of Spanish journalists flew in to attend the trial.
During the trial in Koh Samui, Sancho claimed he got into a fight after Arrieta allegedly tried to sexually assault him. He said Arrieta fell during the struggle, hit her head on the bathtub, lost consciousness and died.
Sancho admitted dismembering his victims’ bodies and dumping them on land and sea.
According to police, the Koh Samui Provincial Court initially sentenced Sancho to death, but commuted it to life imprisonment in a ruling due to Sancho’s cooperation during the trial.
Bussakorn Kaewleeled, a lawyer for the victims’ families, said they were satisfied with the outcome.
“The plaintiffs are satisfied with the verdict because he will be sentenced to life in prison and they will receive some financial compensation,” Bussacon told reporters outside court.
Asked about Sancho’s reaction, she said: “He is sad but we cannot forget the loss of the deceased.”
Sancho claimed he killed Arrieta, 44, in self-defence and admitted hiding the body but denied he destroyed the Colombian’s passport. The trial heard that Sancho chopped up Arrieta’s body and put the pieces into plastic bags before distributing them around Koh Phangan.
Although Thailand still imposes the death penalty for some crimes, including premeditated murder, executions are rarely carried out – the last execution was in 2018.
Arrieta’s family said before the sentencing that they favored a life sentence.
AFP and AP
