Andrew Drummond

Link to The Times edit

From Andrew Drummond

Bangok Criminal Court 

Photo:Andrew Chant                                                                      

Christopher Neil caught on film and now dubbed ‘Mr.Swirly’ was jailed in Thailand today – after a judge said the photographic evidence against him was conclusive.
Neil, 32, was jailed was initially jailed for six years six months but the sentence was halved to three years three months because he did not contest the case.
Canadian Neil, 32, from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, smiled as he was led away in shackles from the court in his  brown Thai prison uniform.
 But earlier in the dock his jaw dropped as the woman judge read out  the sentence stating that although his face was not in the pictures in this particular case, ‘it is quite clear from the evidence of the boy that part of your body was ’.
He had admitted three charges, abusing a minor, separating a minor from his parents, and taking obscene photographs.
Before leaving the court he was heard to say: “I’m zero. I’m nothing. What can I do?”
The parents of the victim had put in a claim for compensation of 300,000 Thai baht - about £5000.
The court ruled that the figure was too high and settled terms at 60,000 baht just under £1000.
At an earlier hearing Neil said he had no money to pay compensation. If he does not he may have to serve extra time in lieu.
The child in question at 11 was the older of two boys – the other is aged nine – he has been charged with abusing in Thailand.  He has pleaded not guilty in the other case.
The court had heard that Neil photographed the 11-yr-old masturbating him.
Christopher Neil, who had sought and got teaching jobs in schools in Thailand and Korea became the subject of an international manhunt after German police unravelled pornographic pictures which he had put on the internet.
The head of the man in the pictures was distorted into a swirl – but the Bundespolizei  were able to clear up the distortion in the picture and ‘before and after images’  were then transmitted around the world by Interpol and Neil was tagged ‘Mr. Swirly’.
He was arrested in Thailand last October in the provincial town of Nakorn Ratchasima where he was living with a ‘ladyboy’ (transsexual) friend.  A signal from his mobile phone gave him away.
At the time Wongkot Manarin, Deputy Police Commissioner in Bangkok said: “From the pictures on the internet there is evidence that he had sexual relations with between 5 and 7 boys under ten years told, and one girl under ten.”
The second case continues.  On completion of his sentence Neil will be deported to Canada.