Des and Mary Byrne suffer savage beating in Thailand (Image: KTD Media/UGC)
A couple from Teesside who retired to Thailand fear they are on the verge of imprisonment, despite being victims of a brutal assault caught on CCTV. Des and Mary Byrne fulfilled their dream of retiring to a tropical paradise in 2020, saving enough money to build a villa on the “Thai Riviera.”
However, their dream turned into a nightmare when they became embroiled in a dispute over land access.
In December 2023, the Byrnes, originally from Middlesbrough, went to investigate a disturbance in their garden. They claim to have found a physically fit couple in their 40s, trained in Thai boxing, damaging plants in their garden.
After confronting them and asking them to leave, the Byrnes were reportedly attacked by the man, believed to be from the UK, and his Thai partner. Mr Byrne claims he was knocked unconscious and continued to be hit while on the ground, receiving a total of 22 blows.
Meanwhile, Mrs Byrne was allegedly assaulted by the Thai woman, who punched and kicked her until she fell into a flower bed where she appears to have been stamped on. The Byrnes sustained severe injuries, and the attack has reportedly left Mrs Byrne with diminished heart function, reports .
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Mary Byrne (Image: KTD Media/UGC)
In a distressing twist, British expats Mr and Mrs Byrne have found themselves ensnared in a legal nightmare abroad. After their assailants were apprehended and initially pleaded not guilty in May last year, they reportedly switched to a guilty plea by August and were ordered to pay compensation, according to the Byrnes.
Yet, in an alarming development, the couple claims that 15 police officers stormed their home, resulting in their arrest on counter charges of inflicting “superficial injuries and mental anguish”.
Now, retired chemical engineer Mr Byrne, 77, and his wife, a 69 year old retired nurse who served on the frontline, are bracing for a court appearance on Wednesday, March 12, with the grim expectation of a prison sentence.
The pair, feeling ‘trapped’ in their predicament, have exhausted their finances in efforts to prove their innocence and have been forced to sell their villa in Hua Hin.
Mrs Byrne lamented: “All we want is to come home but we are trapped here, we are prisoners and no one seems able to help us. It’s like a living hell because it is clear to anyone we are the victims in this and somehow we’re going to be brought in front of a court. It’s a very frightening situation.”
Mr Byrne expressed frustration at the local authorities’ initial disinterest following their assault, recounting how difficult it was to even file a report.
In a shocking turn of events last July, the Byrnes were hauled before the courts and faced prosecution following an assault.
Their family back in Britain has been tirelessly campaigning for intervention from the UK authorities, initially reaching out to David Cameron and subsequently to his Labour counterpart in the Foreign Office, David Lammy.
“We are looking at a terrible miscarriage of justice,” they claim, yet their pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears. The Byrnes are staring down the grim prospect of being locked up in a Thai prison.
Mrs Byrne’s brother, Tim Maley, urgently called for action: “They desperately need help and we’re appealing to David Lammy to urgently intervene.”
He continued, “They have been the victims of an absolutely vicious assault and now they find themselves at the very real risk of being sent to jail over it. If nothing is done we are looking at a terrible miscarriage of justice against two good people who have done nothing wrong whatsoever but have seen their lives ruined. Their families just want them home, but this isn’t something we can achieve without significant help from the Government.”