The following appears in the PATTAYA DAILY NEWS:

 

(for photos, see: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000006270 )

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ELDERLY BRITISH MAN FALLS TO HIS DEATH FROM PATTAYA HOTEL

Pol.Lt.Col. Thawatchai Sudsakorn, Pattaya Investigator, received a report on June 11, 2008, at 7am, that a foreign man had fallen to his death from the 3rd floor of Diana Estate Hotel, in Soi Bua Khao, Central Pattaya. Pol.Col.Nopadol Wongnom, Pattaya Superintendent and Sawang Boriboon rescue accordingly went to investigate.

 

At the scene, police found Mr. Roy Norton (75), a British citizen, lying dead in the rear car park of the hotel. He was wearing a red patterned shirt and brown shorts. There were broken glasses and a hotel room key by the side of his body. On the 3rd floor, there was a pair of shoes, apparently belonged to the deceased, which police kept as evidence. A police investigator examined the body and found the man had sustained head injuries, broken arms and legs and there was blood coming out of his mouth. Initial estimates assessed the time of death as not more than 20 minutes previously and there was no sign of his being attacked.

 

Mrs. Jamnong Ratanajaruen-norakul (40), a hotel maid, told police that Mr. Norton had been a hotel guest for about 7 years and this time he had been staying at a room on the 3rd floor that she regularly cleaned. Normally, he liked to drink and used to tell her about his English ex-wife whom he had divorced long ago. Apparently, he had had two children with his ex-wife who are now grown up.

 

Miss Jamnong said that while she was working in the office on the ground floor with other staff members, she heard the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground and she and her colleagues rushed out to have a look, only to find Mr. Norton lying dead; she then reported the incident to the police.

 

Hotel staff led the police to examine Mr. Norton's room and found no trace of fighting, and all of his property in an orderly condition. Inspecting the air circulation window on the staircase near Mr. Norton's room, police found evidence of footprints and signs of climbing consistent with the apparent trajectory of the deceased's body as it hit the ground. Presumably, Mr. Norton had climbed up to the air circulation window and leapt off to commit suicide, but the motive is still unknown. Police assumed that the man was distressed because of personal problems. However, the British Embassy will be informed and the body will be handed over for an autopsy to ascertain the real cause of death.

A police investigator examined the body and found the man had sustained head injuries, broken arms and legs and there was blood coming out of his mouth.

 

Geez, given the guy took a dive off the 7th story, we really didn't need to hear a graphic story about the injuries.....

 

.... the British Embassy will be informed and the body will be handed over for an autopsy to ascertain the real cause of death.

 

Hmmm. While I don't claim to be a genius (I did watch a few episodes of Barney Miller once....), anybody want to bet that the cause of death was blunt force trauma with the ground?