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Koh Tao backpacker double murder trial starts

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A trial of men accused of the murder of two British tourists on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand started today.

Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo deny killing David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth. The pair also deny rape.

The backpackers’ bodies were found on a beach last September.

The two migrant workers, both from Myanmar, went on trial at nearby island of Koh Samui. The accused were arrested several weeks after the bodies were found.

Police say DNA tests link both men to Ms Witheridge’s body. But the defence has called for the DNA evidence to be re-tested, alleging the men have been framed, the BBC reported.

Verdicts in the case are not expected until October.

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