Republished September 28, 2017 - 5:26 AM
Original Publication Date September 28, 2017 - 4:46 AM
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A Cambodian court on Thursday sentenced a British man suspected of involvement in the gangland-style slaying of another Briton in the Thai resort town of Pattaya to eight months in prison for fraud.
Toby James Nelhams was one of three men sought by Thai police in the Jan. 24 shooting death of Tony Kenway as he sat in his parked Porsche SUV. Thai media reported that Kenway's widow described him as a website designer, but that police linked him to a gambling website, among other activities, and that the suspects were allegedly involved with financial crimes.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Nelhams guilty of fraud but dropped charges of entering Cambodia illegally, working without a passport or work permit. It's unclear if Thailand ever formally sought his extradition.
Thai police have said the two other suspects, a South African suspected of being the shooter and a Briton believed to have been his getaway driver, fled to Cambodia. Their current whereabouts are unknown. Nelhams was suspected of having masterminded the killing.
Pattaya is a popular beachside resort town about a two-hour drive from Bangkok with a reputation as a sin city rife with corruption and prostitution. It attracts a significant number of Western residents, including members of the criminal underworld from several nations.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017