Exclusive: How much the Day brothers paid a Thai cop after holiday attack – and the horror they spent four months in jail

The Day brothers released a statement. reporter They confirmed they each paid the officer $74,000, but rejected the merits of the decision, saying they pleaded guilty because Mattson Day’s health deteriorated — potentially fatally — in prison.

While Hamish and Mattson Day were on holiday in Phuket, Thailand, a roadside altercation with a police officer resulted in them being detained for almost four months.

In the extraordinary video that went viral around the world, Mattson Day wrestled police Sergeant Somsak Nueaid to the ground on the side of the road while Hamish Day watched, holding the officer’s gun.

Their families were prepared for the possibility that Hamish Day’s wife, Rebecca, would remain in prison for years. reporter During their detention:

“What will our son do? Boys need their fathers. I’ll do my best, but I’ll give it my all, but there will be some things where I can’t replace his father.”

“I just want to take him home. And I just want Jake to have his daddy again.”

After getting married and raising their own family, the Day sisters went to Thailand on a sisterhood trip. Their plans were to go surfing, visit cable parks and seek medical treatment for old sports injuries at one of Phuket’s private hospitals.

A week into the trip and just an hour after calling their home to chat with their children, the men were arrested.

Details regarding the Day brothers’ return to New Zealand were unknown until now. reporter Obtaining the court decision and having it translated by a sworn translator.

king’s decision

The decision, titled “On Behalf of His Majesty the King”, was delivered by judges Sakchai Yodsri and Kriengsak Rodphunchu.

It describes the events that led to the arrest of the couple, to whom the Day brothers are said to have “confessed”.

He said Somsak Nueaid, referred to as the “victim”, was “fulfilling his duty to look for lawbreakers” at the five-way traffic checkpoint at Chalong Junction in Phuket Province’s Mueang Phuket district.

The Day brothers arrived at the checkpoint on separate motorcycles after Somsak Nueaid began waving at them “to stop the motorcycles for inspection.”

The men “started the engines and drove both motorcycles out of the checkpoint at high speed,” avoiding the police officer, the verdict said.

“This action violated traffic signals,” he said.

When police arrived to arrest the Day brothers, the verdict said they “resisted using violent force.”

“The defendants struggled with the victim and did not allow examination. As a result, the victim injured his left fingers, left knee and neck. “The injuries were severe and he was in significant pain, and (he) was unable to resume normal activities for more than 20 days.”

At this point, the decision stated that the Day brothers “jointly bribed the victim by offering their assets to gain influence not to arrest them, which was an unlawful act.”

The bribe was said to have been rejected.

It is noteworthy that there is no reference to the Sergeant Major’s gun in the decision.

It was stated that the people in question were found guilty of “obstructing a police officer from performing his duty by using violent force” and “attacking a police officer while he was performing his duty and causing serious injury”.

The latter introduced the harshest penalty, requiring a maximum of four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht (1976 $).

The charge of attempting to bribe an official to deter him from performing his duty carried a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht ($1976).

The $148,000 restitution payment was almost 20 times the $7,904 fine they were ordered to pay.

Brothers’ confession

“Both defendants confessed, which benefited the investigation. “For this reason, the penalty will be reduced by half.”

The decision stated that the victim made a full recovery and the Day brothers spent almost four months in custody and “paid compensation of 3,000,000 baht to the victim, and he was satisfied with this and did not want to file a civil suit.”

“The victim asked the court to give them a lighter sentence.”

The three-year prison sentence was later suspended for two years without granting probation.

Police had previously announced that these people were banned from traveling to Thailand.

reporter He understands that Auckland consultant and troubleshooter Matt Blomfield is at the center of efforts to get the men home.

Blomfield has developed a business offering business and legal support as well as crisis management for over a decade.

In a statement made through Blomfield, Hamish and Mattson Day said that the content of the court decision was not correct.

“We respectfully but unequivocally reject the account of events outlined in the court decision as not reflecting what actually happened.

“Prison conditions were extremely harsh, as expected, characterized by overcrowding, malnutrition, widespread disease, large gang presence, and death.”

The statement said the brothers were “determined” to defend the charges “because we know they are wrong” but pleaded guilty out of fear for Mattson Day’s life after his health deteriorated in prison.

They said that at this stage the prosecution had dropped “most of the charges and the most serious ones”.

“We paid approximately $74,000 per person for police officers. Then we were able to return home.

“When we returned home, Oscar (Mattson) was diagnosed with severe tuberculosis; This diagnosis resulted in a collapsed lung and required him to be rushed to an acute care suite at Waikato Hospital, where liters of fluid were drained from his lungs.

“If Oscar (Mattson) had stayed in prison, he probably would have died.”

Concern about Thailand’s tourism industry

Australian National University associate professor Nick Cheesman said the decision reflected a change in the law made in 2005 that allowed “injured parties” to “seek compensation from the defendant” in certain cases.

“However, whether intentional or not, one effect of this is that it allows the wealthy and influential to escape or shorten imprisonment by getting their victims to accept compensation.

“So that’s a factor in this case. The other was that the men were tourists.”

Cheesman said Thai authorities were “extremely alert to any damage to reputation that could affect the large and lucrative tourism industry.”

Day family political and property ties

Laurence and Katrina Day are mainstays of the Waikato business community with a sprawling property empire worth millions of dollars. Their portfolio included approximately 60 commercial and residential properties, mostly jointly owned but some owned by others.

The couple are devout Christians and gave Colin $1,325,000. Craig’s Conservative party The donation came shortly after Laurence Day raised $10 million from the sale of a private educational foundation.

“I think to myself: ‘I could leave this money to my children and it would probably ruin them, like winning the Lotto,” he told Stuff at the time.

“Or I could do something for everyone’s children in this country and leave them with a more democratic New Zealand.”

He served as chairman of the party and later Stands for election in Napier constituency.

David Fisher lives in Northland and has worked as a journalist for over 30 years; He has won numerous journalism awards, including being twice named Reporter of the Year and being named one of the few Wolfson Press Fellows of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He first joined the Herald in 2004.

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