Mystery of the missing robbers
A young Irishman who was treated for a head injury at Patong Hospital told police he was attacked and robbed while entering his hotel room. However, Police discounted his version of events – saying he was probably too drunk to remember what actually happened. Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the Kathu Police identified the self-proclaimed “victim” as an Irishman called Peter (last name withheld), aged 24, who had been staying in Room 105 of Sawasdee Mansion on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd for about three weeks when the alleged incident took place. Peter was treated at Patong Hospital for a head injury requiring stitches about 2:30 am on September 24. Following standard procedure, staff at the hospital called police to investigate the incident, after Peter claimed he had been the victim of a brutal assault. When the officers arrived, the Irishman told them that he was opening the door to his room on the ground floor when two men hit him on the head and stole his credit card, digital camera and some cash. After investigating the incident, police began to doubt this version of events. Staff at the hotel told police that the Irishman, who had returned to the hotel drunk that night, was escorted to his room for his own safety by two hotel security guards. Police theorized that once inside, Peter likely lost balance and slipped in the bathroom, hitting his head on a plumbing fixture. Police, noting that Peter was drunk yet still coherent during questioning, said that the combination of booze and a hard knock on the head might have led him to incorrectly reconstruct the night’s events, mistaking for assailants the hotel staff who had actually helped him to his room. As for the missing items, police surmised that he probably dropped them or left them somewhere before returning to his room. “We will try to find his things and return them to him,” Col Boonlert added. The Gazette called the hotel to try and get the Irishman’s account of events, only to be told he had already checked out. The hotel receptionist emphatically confirmed the police version of events. She added that when staff realized their drunken guest had a serious head injury they had trouble convincing him that it needed medical attention. Peter initially resisted their efforts to get him to hospital, she said. The receptionist ruled out any possibility that outsiders could have gained access to the Irishman’s room undetected by security. “His room was right next to the reception desk, which is manned around the clock.” she said.
