A jealous brother-in-law who organised the murder of a retired British millionaire and his wife has been sentenced to death.
Warut Satchakit, 63, planned the sickening murder of Alan Hogg, 63, and his own sister Nott, 61, at their home in Phrae, northern Thailand, in September last year.
He paid hit man Kittipong Kamwan, 24, to batter Mrs Hogg to death with a hammer, while his pal Phia Kamsai, 63, blasted her husband with a shotgun.
Mr Hogg’s body was found a few days later buried alongside his wife in a two-metre deep hole behind a duck pond in the grounds of their sprawling home.
Warut and the two hit men confessed to murder and concealing the body while a fourth man, Sima Uppamun, 60, who acted as an ‘agent’ to help Warut with the plan, was jailed for 25 years.
The Phrae Provincial Court today sentenced the three killers to death by legal injection but they will have 30 days to appeal the ruling.
If the appeal is not successful, they will be executed in secret by the state within a few days of the hearing.
Mr Hogg’s relatives were at the court today to hear the judgment but declined to speak with the media. They left in a white Ford Ranger pick-up truck.
The son of killer Phia Kamsai, 63, also attended the hearing, but speaking afterwards he said that he would not be allowed to see his father.
Speaking after in a black and white football shirt, he said: ‘’I still haven’t had contact with my father since this happened. My mother sent a letter to me about the sentencing today.
‘’I will not be allowed to see him again. I was working abroad when this happened and only knew when I saw in the news.’’
Following the brutal double murder last year, it emerged that Warut had fallen out with Mrand Mrs Hogg over a long-running family feud.
He had become increasingly jealous at Mr Hogg’s wealth, which the retired Brit had used to build a luxury mansion while he lived in a shabby wooden hut next door.
Mr Hogg was the director of a laundry company in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, and had moved to Thailand several years ago.
His daughter Robyn Hogg, a production assistant, flew to Thailand from the UK after being told of her parents’ disappearance.
At the time of the killing Major Gen Sanpat Praputsra said: “Warut Satchakit has been arrested for the theft of the car and being involved with murder.
“Three suspects were traced from forensic checks on the car.
“They used a shotgun to kill Alan and said they buried him near the ducks. The villains used a hammer to murder his wife.”
