Daniel Sancho’s bid for a lighter sentence ended in defeat when the Koh Samui court upheld his life sentence for killing Edwin Arrieta. Sancho, a Spanish national, heard the decision by videoconference from Surat Thani prison.
The court confirmed its August 2024 verdict. Sancho remains convicted of murder, with the verdict also finding that he dismembered Arrieta’s body and hid the remains. The crime happened on August 2, 2023, on Koh Phangan. Sancho could have faced the death penalty, but judges cited his early confession as the reason for sparing his life and sentencing him to life in prison. Spanish and international media reported that the court also upheld his conviction for destroying Arrieta’s passport, which was treated as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
On September 25, 2026, the Thai court rejected both the defense and prosecution appeals, leaving Sancho’s life sentence unchanged.
Sancho’s lawyers filed their appeal in March 2025, arguing that Arrieta’s death was an accident during a fight. They asked for a retrial or a new hearing, but the court rejected their claims. Arrieta’s family sought a harsher sentence. In December 2024, they appealed, asking for the death penalty and additional compensation of more than 4.42 million baht, or about 117,000 euros. After the latest ruling, the family’s lawyers said they would not appeal again. Agency sources say the compensation demand was a basic issue, but the decision appears final for the family.
Both sides can still appeal to Thailand’s Supreme Court, the country’s highest court, so the sentence is not fully final. Sancho’s possible transfer to Spain to serve his sentence is also on hold. Agency reports say the Supreme Court is the final venue for any further legal challenge in Thailand.
Sancho remains in Surat Thani prison as both sides decide whether to take the case to the Supreme Court. As reported earlier, the case has drawn international attention, and both legal teams have used every option allowed by Thai law.
Sancho’s options are now limited. The Arrieta family continues to seek the toughest punishment, while both sides consider whether to appeal to the Supreme Court.
