Crime
24-year-Old Syrian Held for Murder of Charles Jones
Charles Jones had received a Queen's Service medal for his contribution to croquet.
A 24-year-old Syrian man is being held by police in Thailand following the stabbing of New Zealand tourist.
Charles Jones was slain in his apartment on Monday night in a brutal knife attack in the Thai resort area of Pattaya.
“We believe it was a fight between Mr Jones and someone he invited up to his room,” Police Lt Col Ratha Prathumkaew said.
Closed-circuit television footage captured the man named "Mohamed" near the apartment where Kiwi man Charles Jones was found murdered.
Jones, who was President of the World Croquet Federation, was holidaying on his way back from the World Golf Croquet Championships in London.
His friend Stuart Yeatman had dropped him off at his apartment to meet a young male friend on Monday night.
When Jones did not return Yeatman’s calls, he went back the next morning and found him dead.
Yeatman told ONE News Jones was too quick to place his trust in a stranger and that has proved fatal.
“I think Charles was very much a victim of his nature,” he said.
Yeatman was asked to identify items belonging to Jones which were found in the possession of the Syrian man.
“Everything in this guy’s possession had belonged to Charles,” he said.
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“Charles had a fairly distinctive gold watch… we didn’t realise that had been stolen up until that point.”
He said he was pleased with how quickly the police had responded to the death, making an arrest after just four days.
“From the top down they have been working their arses off on this and they’re also very aware of the criticisms that have been levelled against them,” he said.
