Pictures by Andrew Chant and Hua Hin News
Darren Oxley
A wealthy Briton who skipped bail during his high profile trial for drugs dealing has been able to live the ‘high life’ in Thailand due to incompetence and bungling by police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Darren Oxley, who was described in court as ‘violent’ and a ‘man you don’t mess with’, and also ‘with considerable amounts of money’ has been living undisturbed like a Lord in his tropical mansion in a beach resort.
Today Oxley, 42, should be in jail in Britain, for his last role as the leader of a drugs empire which pushed Ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines in clubs in England.
Oxley House, Hua Hin Darren's home away from, well, er, jail
But while British authorities can track down parking offenders to Europe they have done nothing to reign in this high profile criminal even though there is a working extradition treaty.
While supposedly on the run the British Embassy in Bangkok has happily handed him a new passport to continue his life in the sun in a palatial mansion in Hua Hin, a town known as ‘The Royal Resort’ 150 miles south of Bangkok.
Nine members of his gang were jailed for a total of 60 years in 2001 at Sheffield Crown Court for dealing drugs in clubs like the town’s ‘Republic’.
But Oxley, who stood in the dock with them, was now nowhere to be seen when it came to sentencing. He never bothered to hang around. After skipping bail he was already in Thailand where he bought a Lamborghini, Bentley and Range Rover and took a Thai wife.
A bench warrant issued by the judge became worthless, because he had already fled the coop.
Darren Oxley -right- near the Whitings home in Hua Hin
Oxley has since been living the good life and laughing at British police. In Thailand he set up a building company and called ‘Oxley Homes’ in Hua Hin. The company has now been linked to a fire-bombing, and attempted murder.
Donald Whiting now paralysed
The major victim is former US Marine Don Whiting, 65, who bought a home from Oxley and then complained about being defrauded over water bills on his property. Whiting’s car was firebombed in July 2008 and then on October 24th 2008 he was gunned down at his home. Whiting is paralysed from the waist down and will never walk again.
He took took six bullets. Four pierced his lungs and exited, one was removed from his stomach, and one is still embedded in his spine. He needs 24 hours a day medical attention.
Bullet lodged in Whiting's spine
The day after the shooting, claims Donald Whitting, nicknamed ‘Biff’, he was due to give evidence in five cases of fraud against Oxley in the court at the provincial capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
After the incident Thai police said they had issued warrants for the arrest of Oxley and his wife Janpen/Napatsorn Oxley, 32, and five days later on January 29th she was arrested at she tried to cross the border to Cambodia with the equivalent of 6000 pounds in her handbag.
She was taken back to Hua Hin where she denied being involved and was released without charge to return to nearby ‘Oxley House’. Police meanwhile attempted quite successfully to keep a lid on the scandal by asking local newspapers to control their forums, which had drawn out angry comments from local foreign residents. They claimed the comments could interfere with their enquiries.
But in October 29th after intervention by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva three people were arrested for attempted murder and they named Oxley’s wife as the person who commissioned it.
Two cousins and gunman in white T-shirt - Hua Hin News
Cousins Yuthawan Areesawat, 36, and Sarat Areesawat, 41 from Chumpon, South Thailand, and Eakanan Jitmahima, from Pathum Thani, Central Thailand, admitted they had attempted the murder of Whiting with a .38 after being paid 200,000 Thai baht (just 4000 pounds) by Mrs. Oxley at one of her other homes in Hua Hin. Police easily tracked down the money transfer.
The men also admitted to setting fire to Donald Whiting’s car for a fee of 600 pounds.
But Janpen, who apparently had never spoken to Donald Whiting, or his partner Dolly Damson, Vice Chancellor of Stamford International University in Thailand, refused to implicate her husband.
Janpen Oxley cuts a smart appearance at Bangkok South Criminal Court. On a conspiracy to murder charge she is likely to still be on bail in years to come
Donald Whiting is dumbstruck. He said: “The only person I had a row with was Darren Oxley. He was threatening me. He told me some harm could come to me. I could prove he was cheating me and was due in court the day after the shooting to testify against him.
“Sure his wife is guilty but I am sure she would never have ordered my shooting without her husband’s say so. Foreign builders and estate agents have been holding expatriates to ransom in Hua Hin. Many have lost their live savings because of scams.
“How can this Briton Darren Oxley even be allowed to live in Thailand? I have written to the Crown Prosecution Service and police and get nothing from them. The British Embassy will tell me nothing.”
Janpen Oxley, who entered a monastery and changed her name to Napatsorn while on bail, has not implicated her husband. It is difficult for foreigners to get bail on murder charges. The Thai legal system can be cumbersome and dysfunctional given the right circumstances. All the Thai defendants, bar the actual shooter Eakanan have got bail.
The trial could last over two years, sitting just one day a month. If Mrs. Oxley, also known as ‘Sarah’ is acquitted she can appeal and her bail extended. If she loses her appeal than she can appeal to the Supreme Court – the appeals process can take as long as eight years.
Said Dolly Samson, 62: “We want Janpen to feel the full weight of the law. We want Darren Oxley brought to justice. I am concerned for Donald’s health and whether he will be around to see justice is done.”
Gunmen Eakanan did not make it to the special court
Despite intervention by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for a speedy resolution of the case, when the Sunday Mirror attended a special hearing for Donald Whiting and Dolly to give evidence at the Bangkok South Criminal Court, as they cannot travel, the hearing had to be adjourned for three months.
Everyone was there except the accused gunman. The prison authorities had forgotten to send the assassin Eakanan to face his accusers.
So what then did the British authorities do? In statements to the local press South Yorkshire Police claimed firstly that they were seeking to extradite Oxley and then that there were problems with extradition.
When we asked the Yorkshire Police under the Freedom Of Information Act whether they had actually tried to get Oxley back to the UK they refused to say either way, explaining: “To give a statement of the reasons why neither confirming nor denying is appropriate in this case, would itself involve the disclosure of exempt information, therefore under Section 17(4), no explanation can be given.
This should not be taken as an inference that the information you have requested, does or does not exist”.
The Sunday Mirror story
This is civil service double-speak meaning as this is an ongoing enquiry ‘we do not have to say anything’. This has left Donald Whiting puzzled as to how British justice works, let alone the Thai system.
Enquiries with the Thai authorities showed that there never ever been a request for extradition which was confirmed by the CPS, who have now destroyed Oxley’s file. This is despite a suggestion by the South Yorkshire Police force to the local press that the opposite was the case.
A CPS spokesman said: “Due to the type and age of the offence, the file on Oxley has been destroyed, in accordance with CPS policy on retention. Oxley left the country before sentencing, so should he return to the UK, he would be arrested and brought to court to be sentenced. There is no record of any steps taken to extradite Oxley. As there was no extradition started, the Thai authorities were not involved”.
Said wheelchair bound Donald Whiting: “It’s difficult to hold any respect for the British authorities. This says little for British justice or the reputation of the British police.”
Darren Oxley has strongly denied the allegations made against him. He insists he had nothing to do with the shooting of Donald Whiting.
“Donald Whiting had a case against my wife, but it was not due in court for a couple of months. He was actually suing another developer. I was never wanted in connection with the shooting of Donald Whiting. I have even been to police and they told me not to waste their time”.
(Donald Whiting admits he did in fact have issues with a Greek developer in Hua Hin)
“This is being exaggerated out of all proportion. I am being made to look like the Krays (an old London crime family of three brothers, who specialised in extortion, torture and murder, but who loved their mum, and donated to charity).
“As it stands I was not convicted in the British court and as such am still innocent. Yes, police may want to talk to me if I go back. But their case against me is weak. A lot of it is hearsay from other people in the dock.
“Further Donald Whiting has had problems with other builders and even tried to extort money from them, yet it is me who has been labelled the criminal.”
Meanwhile police in South Yorkshire are boasting ‘another significant fall in quarterly crime figures’.
Legal Note: This site has been updated and corrected where necessary. Everybody has of course a right of reply. In particular I have removed some of the details from Darren Oxley’s passport as I would not wish to be party to any crime or indeed for Darren Oxley to be the subject of crime. He wrote expressing his fear that he was ”wide open for anyone to use my details for anything such as fraud”.……
NuLabour: Tough on crime and the causes of crime.
Poor Mr.Whiting. How could he possibly understand what any intelligent Brit has only learned through bitter experience gained from living under the yoke of filthy socialism since 1997?
What people must comprehend is the fundamental truth about modern Britain. Nothing worth any thing actually works here anymore.
Oxley is as safe as houses ( provided he hasn’t built them himself, of course! ) in Thailand and has nothing to fear from British justice. The British embassy is in truth probably a reasonable representation of its sponsor State i.e dysfunctional but with every appearance of gravitas subsidised at public expense enabling its servants to enjoy a featherbedded lifestyle not otherwise available to them.
We all know how bad Thai justice is but it starts to look increasingly that UK justice is just as bad. I cannot imagine how it can be so difficult for the British Embassy here to pick up the phone and communicate with the UK authorities. It’s not as if Mr Oxley is difficult to find driving around in one of his supercars all with 789 on the plates I hear! But then if no-one is looking for him, he doesn’t really have to hide, does he…
By the way, Andrew, the link tot he Sunday Mirror doesn’t work for me… Just so you know. Cheers
I don’t think we can actually blame the Embassy. Don’t suppose anybody told them. Beside I’m not sure under which circumtances they can refuse a passport. Plenty of old lags here I am sure re-newing passports.
Well does the British Embassy now know of Mr Oxley’s exploits and history? If so, are they going to do anything? I doubt… I have to agree with westerby that they appear pretty useless when it come to anything important! Just a token presence doing as little as possible…
Link corrected.
Or is it just “living under the yoke of those who have too much power”? I fail to see any real difference between filthy socialism and the filthy free market - which is in no sense free from my menial POV. People like Oxley will always thrive under any system that exists only for the already rich. In that sense, people should comprehend the fundamental truth about the modern world. Blaming a failed has-been political force for today’s global problems is a bit rich. Particularly since there is now nothing even remotely socialist about Nu Labor. Fact is we are living in a shallow materialist world in which even ‘labor’ parties are grist to our multinational overlords. Particularly since there really isn’t a ‘labor’ force left in the UK any longer. Everything has been farmed out to dysfunctional countries like Thailand, increasingly rendering our own country dysfunctional.(And now even Thailand is pricing itself out of the market.) Most people in the UK are now either the comfortably already rich (whatever the government), comfortably retired, unemployed, underemployed or low-paid workers in fast-food joints or other equally banal service-sector industries. The days of old labor are a complete thing of the past. Which is precisely why there are are so many of us working here and in other countries in crappy lowpaid teaching jobs with zero potential for career improvement - supposedly teaching urban Thai kids who hardly know their arse from their elbow in a global sense. The multinationals are interested only in our braindead spending habits and robotic work habits. They continue to gladly foul up our environment by treating the earth’s resources as a free lunch. And in doing that, they destroy the only things of substance really worth having. They really don’t care a hoot about the likes of Oxley, since there is no profit in protecting us mere expendables.
David Cameron will be just the same, without a shadow of a doubt. The multinationals run this world. Socialism is long dead. And even old-style conservatism is dead, for that matter. We are all stuck with government run by multinationals for multinationals.
Hi Andrew the link to the mirror states that Oxley jumped bail after being found guilty but then at the end of the story it says that he left before sentencing,which one is correct.Your photo of him says that hes right outside the whitings home but it is of the home next door,the photo of the whitings home shows the gate posts are only small maybe 1 meter high but this photo shows that the posts are much higher.You state that the whitings have 5 cases of fraud against oxley but most folk in hua hin know that oxley nevver had any charges against him infact the whitings was in court5 days later with another developer not oxley it was the developer that they tried to blackmail as published in the hua hin today magazine.an we please have some correct facts and not hear say
Mr Drummond You need to get all your fact correct.Firstly Mr Oxley is standing outside the front of my home not Mr Whitings .As for Mr Oxley I bought a house of him and had no problems at all.In the case to over charging for water NOT once had he over charged me I only had problems with Mr Whiting hounding me and puting up stupid signs out the front of his house saying that there was no water so dont buy this house. Just to let you also know I am not a friend of Mr Oxley I just bought a house off him and the only person I had dramas with was Donald If you need to contact me please do so
Regards Mark Petta Perth Australia
It’s been said that Donald’s wife complained to both the UK and US Embassies after the fire bombing of their car. They both said they could do nothing, that is to say they were unwilling and unconcerned. They were more interested in hosting chamber of commerce parties and fashion shows than in helping to thwart a violent criminal.
—Aristotle
Branden: Its ok to post under your own name Darren.The picture caption has been amended to read ‘near’ the Whiting’s house. As it was next door not ‘directly outside’. As to your innocence, the quote from the CPS is accurate so I will leave it at that.
“Due to the type and age of the offence, the file on Oxley has been destroyed, in accordance with CPS policy on retention. Oxley left the country before sentencing, so should he return to the UK, he would be arrested and brought to court to be sentenced. There is no record of any steps taken to extradite Oxley. As there was no extradition started, the Thai authorities were not involved”.
You may wish to argue this point with the CPS or Police. Of course if you were innocent you would not have skipped bail….unless of course you were framed. But, we can run with that one next week, if you so wish.
Andrew Drummond: Note: I have been in touch by phone with Darren Oxley. Some corrections have been made from the original story at his request and on points I ventured where I had only one source. I am of course always happy to make corrections on statements of fact.
Mark Petta: Mark your details had already been given to me by Dolly Samson and Don Whiting who admit they were involved in a dispute with you. So in fact there was no attempt by them to conceal anything.
In fact it also became clear from interviews that Donald Whiting was the most vociferous of all the housing victims in Hua Hin and that he was warned by a friend that if he did not curb his voice he could get killed.
I did email you and your partner some time ago, but got no reply. In your favour I have edited some of the Aussie vernacular out of your post but I am sure readers get the drift.
I have in fact interviewed a number of, clients and ex-clients of Mr. Oxley as I have told him. These interviews were due to be published. Your view is not typical. But there are of course people who have had no problems.
But wait. Are we not getting a bit ahead of ourselves here. Are you saying that Donald Whiting fully deserved to get gunned down, and left paralysed for the rest of his life because of a housing dispute!
Welcome to Hua Hin.
I wonder if ”Branden” alias Darren Oxley’s(DO) wife would defend him if she knew that “…………….”
Bruce Lee: Thanks but we don’t go down that road here. Of course if it were Gordon Brown or Cameron, it would be a different kettle of fish…but we’d still need the pictures.
Embassy-v-Interplod
em⋅bas⋅sy
ˈɛm bə siShow Spelled Pronunciation [em-buh-see] Show IPA
–noun, plural -sies.
1. a body of persons entrusted with a mission to a sovereign or government, esp. an ambassador and his or her staff.
2. the official headquarters of an ambassador.
3. the function or office of an ambassador.
4. a mission headed by an ambassador.
In⋅ter⋅pol
ˈɪn tərˌpoʊlShow Spelled Pronunciation [in-ter-pohl] Show IPA
–noun
an official international agency that coordinates the police activities of more than 100 member nations: organized in 1923 with headquarters in Paris.
(I’ve lost count of how many posters cannot tell the difference!)
Ron Hay: Good point. You don’t go to a massage parlour to cure your tooth-ache.
Though of course the Embassy has over the years housed the offices of the Drugs (Law Enforcement) Liaison Officer and now SOCA - Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Sorry Andrew but being a journo yourself what happened to freedom of speech.I didn’t have any conflict with the Whitings actually tried to mediate between the two parties.No I don’t think it was right that the shooting took place (a pretty bloody stupid comment by you)I think one of the reasons Donald was pissed off was that he had been ripped off once before .
As for the house’s that were built your living in a land of dreams if you think your going to pay 13.5 million baht and get a house with no faults .To build the same house here in Oz would cost about 52 million baht. Out of the four house’s built I don’t think anyone else had any complaints or maybe we were smart enough to ask for things to get repaired in a civil manner
Mark: The dispute was not about the house. It was about allegations that water bills were being rigged.
But, as you raise the issue, if I paid 13.5 million baht for a house in HH. I would expect a reasonable mansion. 4 million buys a three bed house in Bangkok with landscaped garden (no pool tho).
I have no problem with freedom of speech, just the way it is spoken.
Even if you establish that Donald is a stroppy ‘old bugger’, and it can be done I’m sure, its hardly justification. So what point are you trying to make?. Oh well, that’s it I suppose.
I was going to delete your last sentence because it is based on supposition and not what people have told me. But as its rather vague I’ll let you win the Freedom of Speech toss.
Finally it is quite clear from your original post that you did have a dispute with the Whitings! The bit that I deleted was you describing Whiting as ‘ What we call in Oz a busy body or nosey old bugger’.
I believe those expressions however may have been invented before the first Australian though.
Ok. I agree with you Andrew. The statement was a ‘bit below the belt’ shall we say, but then again, so is crippling an old man, or anyone, for that matter!!
It is just a crying shame that ex-pats do not strive to get along in a more civilized manor in the ‘land of smiles’, rather than acting like some uneducated gun happy moron.
Foreigners seem quite contented being able to ‘pay’ their way out of trouble rather than avoiding and learning from it! Sad but very true…..
All this nonsense over a ‘water’ bill = PATHETIC!
Bruce Lee: I said we don’t go down that road..I did not say your post was not interesting!
Technically, well legally actually, this is a Thai case. All those accused in the dock of conspiring to murder Donald Whiting are Thai. The company Oxley Homes is Thai.
Indeed there may be something of Robin of Loxley in Oxley.
I am in the process of looking for a retirement home in Hua Hin and this article has made me very concerned. I have asked many of the Estate Agents I have visited and they all pretend they have not heard of this case. How can I avoid people like this
First avoid all the estate agents who told you they have never heard of this case. They are either (1) Telling lies or (2) So out of touch they are not worth dealing with.
If you are buying property for heaven’s sake do not go with a lawyer appointed or recommended by the estate agent or seller. Do not even begin to believe what an estate agent tells you verbally about ownership of YOUR proposed property.
And if there are no Thais around, ask yourself why? They like good deals too.
Finally are you prepared to buy what you cannot sell?
And as Edward points out below - never be fooled by the Paradise bit. Its surprising how a paradise can turn into a living hell - anywhere in the world.
I would add, as someone who knows the property market here in LOS quite well, that you should heed the advice of so many people and rent before you buy. I say this because appearances can be deceptive everywhere but never more so that here. I bought property in Hua Hin and wish I never did as do many people as it is not really what the postcard portrays. Some like it, undeniably, but you will never know until you have tried it and for sure if you buy now, selling will not be easy should you find you don’t like it such is the oversupply in the market there as with much of Thailand. Be careful and cautious here…
Thank you, since my first post I have woken up and realised that these agents are either scared of this man or have a vested intrest, They may be selling property on his behalf. Thanks for the advice I will continue renting I think.
Last month we were fortunate to sell our Darren Oxley built house in Hua Hin. Dealing with Mr.Oxley became so contentious that I could not communicate with him without being falsely accused of anything he could think of. The caustic emails continued from Darren even though I had stopped responding to him for almost a year. He left the estate in a mess with many unhappy homeowners because he never followed through on his promises to correct the faults in the homes he built. Amazingly, he is now building another development on Avenue 88 nearby his last one (which is next door to his home). If anyone did their homework and asked any homeowner in his other developments, their opinion of his work and dealings, he would be building white elephants. Just amazing how this saga continues.
Whioh Darren-Oxley-built development were you in? We would love to sell our D-O-B same, but see no hope given the quality, the warranty support, and his reputation.
Andrew, you stated that ”Indeed there may be something of Robin of Loxley in Oxley” which is obviously pointing towards ’stealing from the rich and giving to the poor’ (basically bribery and corruption) which is relative to the case, furthermore a ‘google’ search revealed the following link to a public house in Oxley’s hometown Sheffield, UK that may well have been his local haunt
You also stated that ”The company Oxley Homes is Thai” if so, then why not ‘haunt’ the ‘hell’ out of the scumbag and go down the ‘Al Capone’ route and have him arrested for ‘unpaid taxes’…..now there’s a thought, eh! Or better still, place a ‘bounty’ on the bastard!!!
The biggest difference between ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Darren Oxley’ is that Robin Hood was somewhat popular whereas DO certainly isn’t and I doubt too if his ‘maid’ is called Marion, still he deserves an arrow but will have to settle for a Thai in lieu of a ‘bow’….
I can’t see the following link
We don’t haunt or hound here - only gently remind.
Ooooops! Link http://www.robin-hood-loxley.co.uk
You people spent 13.5 million Baht to live in a place with people who generally despise you and a shocking corrupt legal system. Why?
Darren Oxley is now back in Hua Hin running his Real Estate company Hot Property who have a passion for property. Business as usual it seems.
I think Hot Property would wish to point out that he is not a boss of this company. That is what one of the partners Johnnie Walker claimed to me anyway.
The following letter has been received and translated from a European language into English with identifiers removed.
Translation:
Subject: Darren Oxley
We bought a house from Darren Oxley and were presented with an agreement that stated we could only pay him a yearly fee of 65,000 baht directly, for electricity and water usage pa.
We wanted to pay the local council for our electric and water usage directly - but he refused and confirmed this could not be done (illegal) We therefore have engaged an Lawyer in Bangkok to help us in this dispute. All other tenants who have properties with Darren Oxley have the same problem - but they are scared of him, as they have faced threats by him.
We are from *****. We are now unable to return to our house - as it’s too dangerous to do so. This statement is the truth - my wife is Thai and she had an appointment in January with our Embassy and informed the Consul about this case.
mr drummond i am writing regarding the two posts from residents on oxley homes developements both of whom have neglected to mention that mr oxley no longer has anything to do with the running of the sites. i would prefer that you not publish this as it is for your information only but if you feel that it is relevant you may.
all of the services formerly provided by mr oxley have been taken over by a new company of which i am a part owner and mr oxley no longer has anything to do with the developements or indeed the company that i co own with a european partner.the residents of the sites have all stated that they are happy with the new management and provision of services and the only fly in the ointment currently (as “the victim”is no longer in residence)is the german gentleman who seems to think that services such as security, poolcleaning, utilities maintenance and the shuttle bus to town are free after admitting in his note to you that he was aware of the charges when he bought the house, the gentleman in question has not paid for these services for this year and he has also neglected to pay for either his water or electricity supplies for the last 2 months and this is the reason that his services have been terminated none of these having anything to do with mr oxley or indeed giving him any reason to be afraid to visit his home other than the outstanding bills which await his attention. your research into this situation before publishing his letter on your website would have been appreciated. there have been no threats other than the threat to remove the services if the bills were not paid which has now been carried out. i have a suspicion that this man is jumping onto the kick oxley bandwagon in order that he may dodge his outstanding bills and would suggest that you treat his comunications with care.
R.C. Baxter: I have not to my knowledge received any correspondence from a German.
Pardon me for suggesting it but you do not seem to have started up the new venture with any sense of conciliatory approach.
PS. Does your computer have a SHIFT key?
andrew, what part of no longer involved, and new company did you miss, we have no connection with mr oxley and have taken over the running of the sites as a completely separate company as i have already stated. mr oxley is not and never will be involved in our company and has transferred the maintenance responsibilities to us in order that he have no more dealings with the sites than is absolutely required as the developer, in order that he free his time for other projects. please remove or amend your previous post as this is untrue and i strongly object to your twisting my words. we are not partners in oxley homes and have no connection with that company now, in the past or in the future.
as far as conciliatory approach we have been in polite correspondence with the gentleman in your post ( ok he may be Swiss but he speaks German)on several occasions but he continues to ignore our approaches as well as his bills. we as a company have a responsibility to the other residents to provide the services listed in our agreement with them but the costings are based on everyone on site paying the fees, as agreed when they bought their property, and the failure of this gentleman to pay his fees obviously has an effect on the cash available to provide the aforementioned services to other paying customers, which we have to make up as a company.
This is the very reason that I did not wish to get into a slanging match over this as I expected you to somehow sensationalize a simple business venture in order to further your vendetta with mr Oxley but I will not be drawn into answering you again as I think I have made the facts pretty clear now.
Regards
R C Baxter
Mr Drummond, as an owner of 2 properies on Avenue 88 bought off Mr Oxley in 2006, I can say without reservation that everything promised was delivered unlike A VICTIM (wonder why he never left his name?) I never felt any threat from Mr Oxley, infact it was quite the opposite, if any problem arose he would resolve it quickly and without fuss, with regards to the comment of the site being left in a mess this is not true A VICTIM said he is now building another site next to his home well this site was completed last year.
I wish people who have comments to make possitive or negative would tell the truth
Regards George Horrocks
ANDREW DRUMMOND: Actually the victim did leave his name. I just did not publish
I have read much press and allegations about Darren and cannot comment on any of this, or indeed would wish to.
However I can only speak as I find, and the fact that I have bought a house on Ave 88 from Oxley homes and found Darren good to deal with on all matters and helpful whenever there were problems, and I find it difficult to relate the Darren that I know to any of the allegations. It is crazy to think that you will buy a house and not have problems,anyhwere in the world but expecially in Thailand.All the probelms were sorted out fairly quickly. I will echo RC Baxter in that the management of the site is now run separately and they are doing a very good job. The set up for an annual fee that covers security, pool maintenance, transport etc is excellent and I have had no problems with the issue of electricity or water bills. They have been no different to elsewhere in Thailand.
ANDREW DRUMMOND: Splendid. But the story here is not about the quality of Oxley Homes or his service.
I bought - and still own - a property at Avenue 88. I’ve had no major issues in dealings with Oxley Homes at all.
I should also mention the FACT that Avenue 88 is now managed by a professional, on-site, not-at-all-related-to-Mr Oxley management company with whom I couldn’t be happier.
For the author, Mr Whiting is no innocent victim is this case either. I know people - not Mr Oxley - he was attempting to blackmail in Hua Hin. Who knows what other enemies he’d developed. Perhaps, to balance the journalistic books, you should investigate this and why he left Hawaii in the first place…
Feel free to contact me.
Rob Lacey.
ANDREW DRUMMOND:Don Whiting has done something in Hawaii which warrants Mrs Oxley to order a gun man to shoot him five times in the back neck and stomach? There’s a curious logic there. I guess Donald must have been a mafia hitman. Let me investigate!….You’re kidding of course.
PS Seems an awful waste setting up a site office when Darren’s house is right next door!
Dear Andrew
I would like to make the point that I have bought a house in Ave 88 Executive Villas, and I am happy with it. I often meet people around the town who have less than good experiences buying property in Thailand - so I count myself fortunate to have secured ownership of the property and long term lease of the land. All in all a good outcome for me.
Beyond that, deadlines were met, the house was built to specification (it wasn’t perfect), and there has always been a good spirit when dealing with the inevitable disputes.
Carl
Andrew why are you choosing which replies to broadcast someone would think that you was one sided in this affair.I dowt if you will broadcast this reply too.I fully understand that a journalists job is to broadcast the news even though it is always juiced up to make it more tasty to the viewers eyes but a journalists job is not to take sides which people are now understanding is the case here by not broadcasting there post you are doing this matter no good at all and giving the issue no strength,why say leave a reply when it wont be posted.
Patience, Darren. I have been away from my computer for 16 hours or so. Actually the writers of all these letters which came in a spontaneous
overnight flurry missed the point entirely.
The point of the article is not the quality of Oxley Homes or its water, electricity, services, etc. I am not interested at all in your business or whether it is a good business or bad one.
The point of the original story is that you skipped bail in the UK on serious drugs charges and have been able to live the life of Riley ever since…and that somebody who crossed you has been shot and paralysed for life…and that your wife is accused of hiring the guy who tried to murder him. What part of this does nobody get?
SAFE HANDS MAINTENANCE COMPANY
Dear R.C. Baxter,
For someone who claims to have nothing to do with Darren Oxley, or Oxley Homes, you are rather protesting too much.
Andrew further more your comments to Rob Lacey just go to show that you are not interested in the truth only twisting what other people have got to say you are one sided in this affair and now people can truly see this.Let me remind you I have never been apart of this crime there has never been a arrest warrant for me I went to the police station and they told me that they wasn’t interested in me.No one other than Donald has ever mentioned my name but you still insist on telling people that I’m a hit man but were do you get you evidence from other than a man that had many enemies from blackmail attempts and much more.You state I was due in court afew days after the shooting took place well if you had checked everything instead of listening to bar talk you would know that Donald was in court 5 days after the shooting with another developer the one he tried to black mail.You say there was 5 counts of fraud against me rubbish the court hearing with donald was with my wife and that was for cutting his water supply off for none payment and that was 3 months later,I suggest you get your facts right as you are starting to look like a hater and not a journalist.
Yet again your now having ago at MR Baxter more evidence of your one sided affair.Why is it people make statements give there real name and you have ago but you allow people with no names to have ago at Darren but you say nothing to them.Journalists are supposed to report the news not to make it or be apart of it.And as for protesting theres no one worse than you.
Darren: Actually I have never called you a mafia hit man. Where did you get that from? I am prepared to accept that the cases were against your wife as the owner of the company. I do not agree with the charges you specified.
I fully accept Donald Whiting’s claim that he had never had a disagreement with your wife, only you.
But it is your wife who has been charged with conspiracy to murder. Why do you feel so victimised? You are not the one paralysed for life. On the contrary you are an extremely lucky man.
In which bars are they talking about this case btw?
Darren: Actually most people have given their names. I have removed names in some cases mainly because one person who called you many names on the internet, was paralysed after your wife ‘allegedly and according to criminal charges’ hired a hit man to see him off.
dear andrew,
i bought a house of darren oxley in 2008/9.i was totally shocked when i heard the news about darren oxley and still am.I’m originally from northern ireland and have lived under english law for quite a number of years.
i totally don’t understand,if darren oxley is guilty of the crimes he has supposed to have committed in england why he hasn’t been brought to justice and in thailand as well.
i feel so sorry for don whiting and his wife for the grief they have gone through.
when i was buying my house we went through the financial crash and i could’nt afford to send money so darren extended the payments and was helpful and supportive to me at that time.
as with every new home it has problems,some are quick fixes some takes time,but to date every one has been seen too or is being seen too.
as far as the the house goes is was one of the best i seen in hua hin,workmanship and construction at the price i was looking for.darren delivered on time and came and seen me the day we exchanged contracts and offered his services when needed as per warrenty.
let me say this, i’m not a close friend of darren’s and only have had dealings with him through buying my house.to date everything he has said has been up front and positve. i know that buying a new home,especialy in a different country can be stressful and things are said at times that should’nt be said.but if everyone stays mature and positive,things can get sorted.
andrew feel free to contact me if you wish.
So you change people names ok but why to victim why not a home owner I will tell you why thats because it makes me look worse.You say that Im not the victim here well what do you call it when you allow all these lies to be written about me and as soon as afew customer dissagree with you,you have ago at them.You say someone is paralysed thats true but no one has been found guilty of any of these charges but yet you still insist on telling people that its me, hows about this if your not one sided then why dont you broadcast the hua hin today paper that shows Donalds blackmail attempt now that would be jouranlism but you wont do that because its not in your favor it shows donald has lots of enemies some was blackmailed for 15 mill but yet I cut his water off and the other guys get forgot about.
By the way you state that a man that called me names on the internet is paralysed does that mean that you think it was donald because I never thought for one moment that donald wrote any of that rubbish but believe it was afew of his friends and maybe afew people in hua hin that wanted me out of the way,maybe so they could have a chance to sell there homes,there is a name for this
Darren: I’m not disagreeing with any of your customers. I have published their letters. However they have nothing to do with the story I have written which is why I have added a few ironic comments. Nevertheless I am surprised not to have heard from The Perrys!! http://www.hotpropertyhuahin.com/huahin-life.php
I repeat I am not a property journalist writing about the quality of Oxley Homes.
They could be palaces with you giving them silver service for all I care. There are however people who are scared of you. Nowhere, but nowhere have I said Dont Buy an Oxley Home, nor have I accused You of murder.
No you never have directly but your trying you best,anyway more to the point hows about broadcasting the letter of blackmail that donald wrote to the developer as I said before thats worth reading therefore its journalism,and weres the post that I wrote earlier on today regarding the victim.
Get a grip Darren. Many serious allegations have been made, mostly by other people than the Whitings, about the ‘other developer’. Its a different story. Mr. Whiting did not threaten to blow anybody away. In fact it isnt a story at all and would not even have made a newspaper had not the other developer owned one! I cannot find the ‘victim’ post you refer to btw. Must have deleted by mistake. But feel free to re-submit. The last two posts are just repetitive, are answered here anyway, and have been deleted.
And there you have it and now everyone can see you say that printing a blackmail letter is not important to anyone give me a break its very important but your one sided and thankyou now everyone knows your not a jouranlist at all you just Donalds puppit.I dont expect you to print this or maybe you might to yet again make me look like the bad guy but if tryiing to blacxkmail someones is not important then you should stop what you do right now as you seem to have lots what the idea of being a journalist is about.Goodbye
Okay bye bye Darren.
The only relevance between attack on Donald Whiting and Whiting’s dispute with the other developer is if you are saying actually the other developer ordered the attack on Mr. Whiting, not your wife, who has been charged with the offence. It seems you rise to anger easily though.
I would like to know how you get the idea that I seem to anger easily we’ve never met and there has been about 7 posters all telling you the opposite,is it because I called you Donalds puppet if so I’m sorry but what do you call someone that is having his strings pulled by someone else.I was told by friends of mine that you was a good journalist and honest someone that listens to all sides and prints the full story and I believed this up until a few days ago you told me you wasn’t one sided but so far I hadn’t spoken to you therefore only one side of the story has been told well Ive told you my story but you’ve made your mind up Im the bad guy,which brings me to the fact that you are one sided.Really Andrew youve made yourself look a fool by saying that a blackmail letter has nothing to do with this matter and thankfull people can now see this.
Who said journalists cannot decide on a side? At the moment I can see two sides quite clearly
In the red corner is a man who faces arrest in the UK for drugs dealing, and described in court as ‘a man you don’t mess with’, who has absconded on bail, and whose wife has been charged with ordering the murder of a client who bought a house off him, who had vociferously complained, and on the internet, about services to the house.
In the blue corner is a retired but perhaps pugnacious 65-yr-old ex US Marine, husband of the Vice Dean of Stamford University, who gave the man in the red corner a hard time and who also gave another developer a hard time. He threatened both developers to go public about what he considered bad practices in the Hua Hin property trade. The marine is now paralysed for life.
If your wife was not responsible she is able to contact the injured party if only by email to say sorry but it was not her, no matter what the police say.
Nowhere in any of your posts is any sympathy for the victim, but on the contrary, all have a tone of ‘He had it coming to him’.
So I suppose I do lean to the side of the victim.
Andrew,
I am a Thai ,I have a home in Hua Hin and work and live in the UK. I have been reading Mr Oxley posts. It appears he is one twisting the truth. It is he is getting his friends to reply to this. or he is pretending to be them. Me and my husband owned a property in Avenue 88. We had many problems. We did get some repair by the developer and some he had to pay for. My Husband asked Darren Oxley about the Water and Electricity as he wanted to pay direct to the Electric company in Hua Hin and water was 3 times the cost of government water. None of this was in the sales agreement. Mr Oxley got angry about this and started to shouting my husband. He also fetched a police man to make my husband to pay the extra money. When the police man could see I am a Thai. He said he was in charge of security and if we did not pay the extra money something bad might happen to our house. He would often make things difficult for us. Turn off the water when we coming to visit. This house has now been sold and I want to say there are many many people who are not happy and have problems with Darren Oxley. They are scared to say anything bad because he will hurt them. Some are scared because they want to sell there house. If they say bad may be cannot sell.
Why did Darren Oxley not say his wife did not do this bad thing or sorry for Mr Donald. This is because he know he and she pay the men to try Kill Mr Donald
His wife will never go to the jail for this all her family are the police. They only make a good show because the American Embassy. Normally the police take Darren Oxley to jail for his Visa and passport and then they look everything he doing. But he pays them big money to help him this is the police in my country. I have put my name here as am not scared to do.
My name is Kornkanok Suthanaart My husband is Gerald Cottingham (Nok and Ged)
Our house was 18 32/12 Avenue 88, Soi Hua Hin 88
Andrew. It seems to me that you might have had other posts from unhappy customers of Oxley but for obvious reasons they do not want to be revealed. I am lucky enough not to have had to deal with the chap but there are certainly a whole bunch who did and regretted it it seems and seeing how he behaves on here it isn’t hard to see why! Anyway, the story is about him and his alleged crimes not his property business as you say so what is the latest on the shooters who seem to have been identified, the wife who seems to have paid them and of course her husband who seems to have had a motive? Any more news?
Edward: Yes. I have several posts I have not published which are subject to follow-ups so to speak and publishing them would almost certainly hinder enquiries.
Kornkanok: Thank you Nok. Actually the rush of pro-Darren posters came in overnight on one night - and I did not check my computer until the following afternoon, by which time Darren was already claiming I was censoring posts in support of him
That’s what I meant by spontaneous.
Keep up the good work, Andrew. You are a one of very few dedicated to exposing the corruption and crime that is making Thailand a miserable place to visit or live nowadays. Whether they are Thai or farang, shameless criminals like these need to be named and shamed in the hope that somehow justice is served for the sake of the poor victims like Donald and the future of the rest of us!
Brilliant conclusion and I admire your work here Andrew - being you live so close to this wombat!
I stumbled across the name Darren Oxley at aproximately 9:30 this morning (its now 5pm) when the headline read “Brit drug baron’s luxury life on the run in Thailand”. Being that I intend on travelling Thailand this year and i’m British, combined with my curious nature, I decided on delving deeper.
I was surprised to find out so much about this case in such a short period. From the Monsters & Critics article, you can see the build up to the shooting, with both parties communcations becoming less restrained as time approaches July 08. This article then puts the nail in the coffin, in respect of Darren Oxley’s innocence. Largely down to Darren’s own poxy responses to what you’ve reported. This article is surely evidence in itself.
That’s one extra reader for Andrew-Drummond.com.
Regards
BenG