World News 13-09-2000 Brit Charged With Murder of Backpacker who: Guesthouse owner Andrew Gill what: Charged with murder of backpacker Kirsty Jones where: Thailand when: Yesterday snippet: "A British man was charged yesterday with raping and conspiring to murder Kirsty Jones, the Welsh backpacker found strangled in a guesthouse in northern Thailand last month," writes Sarah Strickland in The Independent today. 32 year-old Andrew Gill from Lewisham, South London, who has previously been cleared of the crime by DNA tests, is the owner of Aree Guesthouse in Chiang Mai where Ms Jones was killed. His Thai manager, Surin Chanpranet, 47, is also expected to be charged. The results of new DNA tests are expected shortly. "Ms Jones was found face down with a T-shirt knotted around her neck," says John Aglionby in The Guardian, recalling the August 9th murder report. "Guests in neighbouring rooms said they heard shouting and a struggle the previous evening but dismissed the commotion as a lovers` tiff". Mr Gill, who denies the charge, "faces a machine gun execution if convicted" says The Mirror, claiming that "friends" have described him as "a heavy drinker with a violent temper". "Heaven knows what police have made him say," said his father John yesterday. "Andy is a bit of a dreamer. But he isn`t a killer." [... more]

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