Sancho, a chef and a YouTuber, has avoided the death penalty for a murder he denies committing but could spend his life in prison pending an appeal.
ADVERTISEMENTA court in Thailand on Thursday found Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a member of a famous Spanish acting family, guilty of premeditated murder, sentencing him to life in prison for murder.
Sancho, a 30-year-old chef with a YouTube channel, was convicted of killing Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old plastic surgeon from Colombia, when both men were vacationing on the Thai holiday island of Koh Pha-ngan in August last year.
The island is famous for its monthly Full Moon beach parties, attracting travellers worldwide for all-night raves.
The case came to light when waste collectors found what the domestic press described as body parts in a sack at a garbage dump.
Shortly after that, Sancho reported to police that Arrieta was missing, and police then gathered evidence linking the two men. He was arrested by Thai police a few days after the murder and subsequently confessed to his involvement.
The police claim that Sancho confessed to the murder itself and that he planned it after Arrieta threatened to disgrace him and his family by revealing their alleged sexual relationship.
Sancho, through his father and his lawyers, said that was a distorted version of what he told police and denied having a sexual relationship with Arrieta.
Police obtained surveillance video showing Sancho allegedly purchasing a knife, rubber gloves, garbage bags and cleaning solutions at a convenience store before Arrieta's death, which prosecutors claimed bolstered the charge of premeditated murder.
The trial, which ran in April and May this year, was held behind closed doors, with limited information disclosed to the media.
Because of the seriousness of the crime and the likelihood of a harsh sentence, the case was overseen by a panel of five judges in the Provincial Court of Koh Samui in southern Thailand.
During the course of the trial, Sancho's defence focused on ruling out premeditation in the crime. It argued that Arrieta's death was accidental and that the only criminal offences committed were the concealment and dismemberment of his body.
The prosecution, meanwhile, maintained from the beginning of the trial that Sancho murdered Arrieta with premeditation. According to their argument, Sancho arranged his meeting with Arrieta so he could kill the Colombian doctor.
Trial proceedings and key testimonies
Among the 25 witnesses who appeared for the defence were police officers, a psychologist, and a saw expert, whose statements sought to support the theory of an accidental death.
Sancho's own testimony, meanwhile, lasted two full days. In his closing statement, Sancho told the court he regretted his actions, the Spanish newspaper El País reported.
“I am sorry that a life has been lost and that parents have lost a son,” Sancho said. “I am sorry that his family was not able to bury him properly. I’m sorry for what I did after the death.”
ADVERTISEMENTWhile the defence had hoped for a custodial sentence of no more than eight years, the court opted for life imprisonment — though it ruled out the death penalty, which Thai law reserves for extremely serious cases.
The court also awarded a payment of €119,000 to Arrieta's family.
During the reading of the verdict, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo was accompanied by his parents, Rodolfo Sancho and Silvia Bronchalo, both actors, present throughout the trial.
While the defence had hoped for a custodial sentence of no more than eight years, the court opted for life imprisonment — though it ruled out the death penalty, which Thai law reserves for extremely serious cases.
ADVERTISEMENTThe court also awarded a payment of €119,000 to Arrieta's family.
Sancho's legal team have an option to appeal the sentence.