THE MOTHER of murdered backpacker Hannah Witheridge had pleaded with her daughter not to travel to Thailand because she feared for her safety, British media reported yesterday.
A statement from Hannah's mother Susan revealed the family's anxiety over the trip - and how she only made the decision to go at the last minute, reported The Daily Telegraph.
Susan read out the statement at Norwich Coroner's Court at the inquest into Hannah's death. The inquest has now ruled that Hannah was "unlawfully killed" in Koh Tao.
Hannah, 23, was raped and murdered along with another Briton, David Miller, on the resort island in September 2014. A Thai court sentenced two Myanmar migrants, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, to death for killing the two Britons late last year.
Susan said her daughter originally planned to travel to Europe or Australia, before making a late decision to go to Thailand, the Telegraph said.
"The family had always been against Hannah going on the trip and tried to persuade her out of it. None of the family was happy with her going there, but she had made her mind up," she said.
The mother said that her daughter had tried to allay her fears by talking to them by Skype or sending messages every day. She said that Hannah, from Hemsby, Norfolk, had attended a cooking course in Bangkok and had gone trekking while travelling around Thailand.
"But I relaxed when she got to the small island of Koh Tao because I knew she was just swimming and sunbathing," she said.
The two Myanmar migrant defendants claimed during their trial that they were tortured and forced to confess. Their lawyers will submit an appeal this month disputing DNA evidence used against the defendants.