BREAKING NEWS: Phuket murder suspect Lee Aldhouse in court

PHUKET: Phuket “kickbox murder” suspect Lee Aldhouse appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Tuesday for an extradition hearing following a request from the Thai authorities, the UK Home Office has confirmed.

He will remain in custody in the UK until at least March 1, when he will return to the same court for extradition proceedings, Sam Eversden of the UK Home Office told Phuket Gazette editors this afternoon.

Aldhouse, originally from Birmingham, is wanted for the stabbing murder of 23-year-old US Marine Dashawn Longfellow in Rawai in August of last year.

Aldhouse was able to escape Thailand via Cambodia while an international manhunt of almost two weeks failed to find him.

He was arrested on arrival at Heathrow Airport in London on an outstanding warrant issued after he fled the UK while out on bail for a previous offense.

Intranee Sumawong, Executive Director of International Affairs at the Office of the Attorney General in Bangkok, told the Gazette earlier today that the British authorities have yet to tell her office how long the extradition process will take.

“At present, the court [in London] is hearing his testimony and allowing him to present a defense against extradition to Thailand.

“If he objects to extradition, he will have to provide sufficient evidence for them to consider,” Mrs Intranee said.

The UK will not extradite its citizens to any country for charges that include execution as punishment, she said.

“This case isn’t easy as he [Aldhouse] is British and the British government will protect its citizens as best they can,” she added.

— A. Khamlo & N. Altstadt