A HULL man accused of murdering his girlfriend on a Thai island has been spotted in the Philippines, seven years after he went on the run. Michael 'Mick' Taylor, 50, an offshore worker, was arrested in 2005 after he was accused of plunging a knife into his girlfriend Jantra Weangta's heart.
Miss Weangta's body was discovered in the rented bungalow the couple shared in idyllic Chalong Beach, Phuket. Mr Taylor denied the charge, claiming he had been having sex on a beach with a ladyboy at the time Mr Miss Weangta, 27, was killed. Thai police recovered a large Bowie knife and a pair of bloodstained trousers, while prosecutors had lined-up 13 witnesses, including a DNA expert, to testify against Mr Taylor.
Despite the seriousness of the accusation, Mr Taylor had been granted bail after a land title deed, valued at 400,000 baht (£8,000), was posted as a surety. He fled in 2006, midway through the trial, which had been heavily delayed.Since then, sightings have been made of Mr Taylor in Hull and, more recently, in the Philippines, where he is thought to be working in the offshore oil industry.
Information regarding Mr Taylor's latest whereabouts was brought to the attention of Thai authorities after the owners of a bar in Pundakit, about 100 miles west of Manila, claimed they heard him bragging about the killing. Last night, it was unclear what, if any, action was being taken to extradite Mr Taylor, with Thai police reportedly telling a Phuket newspaper it was not within their jurisdiction to chase criminals abroad.
Superintendent Col Kritapas told the Phuket Gazette: "It is beyond police authority to arrest anyone outside of the country. Police have done their job. The suspect was arrested and handed over to the prosecutor. Also, the suspect escaped while on court bail, not police bail. This is clearly a matter for the prosecutor."
Despite several attempts by the Mail to contact Chalong Police and the prosecution department, no one was available for comment yesterday.
The Foreign Office has confirmed it provided Mr Taylor with "consular assistance" at the time of his arrest, although it is not thought the British Government remains in contact with him. A spokesman said it cannot discuss another country's criminal investigation.
The case has provoked uproar in Thailand, with questions being asked of both the British and Thai authorities for seemingly allowing Mr Taylor to slip through their nets.
Mr Taylor's lawyer, Somsak "Sam" Chattay, confirmed his client's passport had been confiscated shortly before he fled. The Phuket Gazette says it has a copy of Mr Taylor's previous passport, showing it was due to expire on June 12.
For Taylor to be legally travelling today, as a British national, he must have been issued a new passport by the UK Passport Agency, managed by the Home Office, while he was still wanted for murder in Thailand, it says. The British Government says it cannot comment on an individual passport application, but the Foreign Office pointed out Mr Taylor would have had to pass through passport control in Thailand, which presumably should have had a watch list.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the arrest of a British national in Thailand on August 20, 2005. We provided consular assistance at the time."
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