Three men have been charged over the murder of a British businessman and his wife in a suspected contract killing in Thailand.
Alan Hogg, 64, originally from Edinburgh, and his Thai wife Nott, 61, were reported missing by friends last week after failing to arrive at an appointment.
Two bodies were later discovered buried near a stream in the garden of their property in Phrae province, northern Thailand.
Initial examinations found that Mr Hogg had been shot, his wife had been bludgeoned, police said.
Three men, including Mr Hogg’s brother-in-law, Warut Rattanasajakit, 63, have been charged with premeditated murder, detectives told Sky News.
Officers are investigating whether the couple were victims of a contract killing.
Police say two of the suspects allegedly confessed to the killings, claiming Rattanasajakit paid them about 50,000 baht (£1,172) to do it because of a family feud.
Rattanasajakit was initially arrested and charged with burglary after the Hoggs’ pick-up truck was found hundreds of miles south in Ayutthaya.
CCTV images show Rattanasajakit entering and leaving the property, where he also worked, after the couple went missing.
When first questioned he denied any involvement in their disappearance.
Major General Praputsra, commander-in-chief of Phrae police, said officers were continuing to look into reports that Mr Hogg and his brother-in-law did not get along following the former’s arrival in Thailand several years ago.
He explained friends raised the alarm after the couple failed to meet them on 19 September in Chiang Mai, adding it was therefore possible that they may have been harmed the previous day.
Investigators found traces of blood in the garage of Mr Hogg’s home.
Police are still awaiting for the results of a full post-mortem but say next of kin in Scotland have been informed.
From – SkyNews
