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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Rob Andrews & Alahna Kindred

Brit jailed for strangling Thai woman, stuffing body in suitcase and fleeing country

A man has been jailed after strangling a Thai sex worker before stuffing her body in a suitcase and hurling it into a river.

Shane Looker, 52, has been sentenced to eight years behind bars after killing Laxami Manochat, 31, in November 2014.

Looker, who is from North Staffordshire, had laid low in his holiday home for weeks before crossing the border into Malaysia and fleeing to Spain, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.

He was arrested in 2017 and extradited back to Thailand last July after a hearing in front of the European Court of Human Rights.

His extradition came after reassurances that he wouldn't face the death penalty or be mistreated in Thailand.

Ms Manochat was a sex worker in the Thai capital, Bangkok (ViralPress)
Police can be seen with the suitcase (ViralPress)

Looker has been convicted of murder and ordered to pay Laxami's mother and daughter a total of £291,300 in compensation.

Look had been in Bangkok for two nights when he picked up Laxami at the Hot Lips go-go bar.

Police found her body 95 miles away and in a suitcase in a river.

Laxami's black stilettos, black dress and a pink thong were also in the luggage as well as a dead dog. The suitcase had been weighed down with rocks.

Looker was seen on CCTV walking hand-in-hand with Laxami before her body was found 95 miles away (ViralPress)

Looker had already fled the country by the time he was identified as the main suspect and an international manhunt was launched.

He was seen on CCTV walking hand-in-hand with Laxami before she was found dead.

She was last seen leaving the Rainbow 4 go-go bar on November 1, 2014.

Looker had always denied the murder charge.

Speaking in 2015, he said: “Yes, I did know her. I'm happy to accept that I spent time with her.

Look was extradited back to Thailand in July 2021 (ViralPress)

“She is a bar girl that I knew previously and I accept that I paid the bar fine.

"There is no way in the world that I'd ever hurt any woman let alone kill her. This is a despicable crime which I vehemently deny. I look forward to proving my innocence in the fullness of time.”

When asked about the case, a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: "We continue to support a British man who is imprisoned in Thailand”.

The Mirror contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for a statement.

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