A Thai court on Thursday sentenced the son of Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho to life imprisonment for the high-profile murder and dismemberment of a Columbian man last year on the popular tourist island of Koh Phangan.
A criminal court on the neighboring island of Samui found Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 30, guilty of the premeditated murder of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, 44, whose body was dismembered and concealed by the accused, according to a court statement. Daniel Sancho is the son of Rodolfo Sancho, known for his role in El Ministerio del Tiempo (The Ministry of Time), and actress Silvia Bronchalo. He admitted to concealing the victim's body but denied premeditated murder, the court said.
Throughout the trial, Sancho insisted that the August 2023 killing of Arteaga, a plastic surgeon, was an act of self-defense, as reported by Thai media. His lawyer declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Thursday. Sancho, a chef, was on holiday in Thailand at the time of the incident, according to local media. He dismembered the victim's body and scattered the parts in plastic bags around the island.
The court initially sentenced him to death but later reduced the sentence to life imprisonment due to his account of the events during cross-examination. He was also ordered to pay the victim's family 4.42 million baht ($130,230) in compensation.
