A woman was arrested in Thailand for stabbing her boyfriend (Image source: Bangkok Post)
A 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of murdering her boyfriend, a 34-year-old cannabis farm worker, after police found his body with multiple stab wounds in a luxury rented home in Pattaya.Police were called to the property in Nong Prue on Thursday morning after reports of a violent incident involving a foreign couple, according to Pol Cole Natavon Phongsuksakul, chief of the Nong Prue police station.Officers discovered the body of Thomas David Powell lying in the bathroom attached to the bedroom. He suffered two stab wounds in his back, three in his torso and one in his left hand. Police believe he had been dead for at least six hours before they arrived.
A girlfriend was found near the body
Police said the victim’s friend, Isabel Violet Carreras, was found sitting near the body and appeared to be severely intoxicated from marijuana. Officers noticed cuts on her fingertips and recovered a 50cm-long machete-like knife that had been washed clean in the sink.Carreras initially claimed her boyfriend had cut himself, but investigators found inconsistencies in her story. It appeared that the victim’s body had been moved and arranged in the bathroom, with a pillow placed under his head, while bloodstains and traces of a struggle were found throughout the house.
A British friend of the victim, who discovered the body, told police he had received an alert from a business partner in the US who feared something was wrong. He entered the house to inspect it, recorded a video clip, and then informed the police.Neighbors said the couple had rented the property just two weeks ago and were often heard arguing.Powell was reportedly running a cannabis farm in Bang Lamung Soi 14.
Police said the couple had been together for about two years and were planning to settle in Thailand.The woman reportedly told investigators they went to look at engagement rings before returning home and smoking pot together. She claimed she could not remember the events that followed.A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of two British nationals in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.”
