UK murder police appeal over Thailand death of Leeds teacher

Nine years after British teacher Adam Pickles was attacked in Thailand, his murder investigation has been featured on a television program aimed at reviving public memory. Detectives hope that the BBC's "Crimewatch Live" program will help advance the investigation into the serious injuries Adam Pickles sustained in 2012. The broadcast seeks to unearth new leads and information that could help bring closure to the case.

Mr. Pickles, from Leeds, passed away in January 2021 at the age of 48. A Home Office pathologist concluded that his death was linked to the injuries he suffered in 2012 from a blunt force assault in the Southeast Asian city of Pattaya. Detective Chief Inspector Damian Roebuck of West Yorkshire Police stated that Mr. Pickles had been at the Starlight Bar in the Nongprue district of Pattaya on the night of the attack.

It is alleged that Mr. Pickles left the bar before 11 p.m. local time, driving his orange Chery QQ car, and accidentally scraped another vehicle. Someone shouted at Mr. Pickles, but he may not have heard or seen them and drove away. Detective Chief Inspector Roebuck said that the suspect chased Mr. Pickles for over a mile, forced him to stop, then dragged him from the car and assaulted him. This aggressive pursuit led to the brutal attack that ultimately contributed to Mr. Pickles' death.

Following the attack, Mr. Pickles was severely disabled and cared for by his family in Leeds for nearly a decade before his death. In 2015, a man was sentenced to six years in prison in Thailand for assault. Mr. Pickles' mother, Adele, said on the program, "Adam is still alive in our hearts." She also said that her son was a "caring young man" who worked as an English teacher at an international school and had many friends. At the time of the attack, he was applying for a visa to bring his family, including his young son, back to the UK to live with him.

Detective Chief Inspector Roebuck stated that police are eager to hear any information about the attack, including from anyone who was in Thailand at the time. Witnesses said the suspect was driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle, possibly a Toyota Fortuna, and returned to the Starlight Bar afterward. Police believe the suspect is a British national and has likely returned to the UK. "We believe Adam's attacker will have confided in someone who was living out there at the time about what happened, and we need that person or those people to come forward and tell us what they know," Detective Chief Inspector Roebuck said. "Adam suffered a traumatic brain injury in the attack. The injuries he sustained were so severe that he needed round-the-clock care for the rest of his life."

Ms. Pickles said, "It seems such a waste of a life for just a scratch on a car, in my opinion." This episode of "Crimewatch Live" can be viewed on BBC iPlayer: [BBCiPlayer](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0028w19/crimewatch-live-series-21-8-murder-in-fife).