A Phuket court handed down a suspended sentence this morning to Australian Thomas Keating in the jet ski accident death of his girlfriend in a collision off Phuket last month.
The two-year suspended jail sentence was given alongside a fine of THB5,000 for reckless driving causing death.
The sentence, handed down at Phuket Provincial Court, brings to an end formal proceedings for a death that the victim’s family – and today, the judge – have publicly recognized as a “terrible accident” and a “tragedy.”
Keating was accompanied at court by family members, his lawyer and Craig Ferguson, the Australian Consul-General for Phuket. All declined to comment to reporters on entering and leaving the court.
Keating, 22, and his deceased girlfriend, Emily Jayne Collie, 20, were riding jet skis near Kata Beach on Feb. 5 when they collided in the water at high speeds, leaving Collie with severe injuries to her neck and shoulders.
Keating said strong sunlight reflected off the sea and made it impossible to see the jet ski of Collie, leading to the crash.
The court has explained that Keating will not be allowed to leave Thailand until the formal documents from today’s ruling have been filed, which is expected to take “about one week,” a court official said.
Story: The Phuket News
