Jody Aggett - Thailand

December 04

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FTA is delighted to announce that Jody has been acquitted and returned to the UK in September 2007 to be reunited with his son and parents.

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Jody Aggett, a British citizen, went to Thailand in 2001 to visit his Thai girlfriend who he had known for 4 years. He planned to take her back home to England, but she fell pregnant so decided to delay their travel plans. The couple was running low on cash and their friend’s boyfriend offered them accommodation in return for some cleaning work and opening and closing the travel agency on the ground floor.

Jody and his girlfriend had no idea that ecstasy was being produced on the premises.

On 20 November 2001, the police raided the house and discovered the drugs. Jody and some employees of the travel agency were arrested, but only Jody and his partner were kept in custody. Their child was born behind bars and is now living with Jody’s parents in the UK. The police intelligence was based on the evidence of a police informer, who spoke in detail about Adrian and his Thai girlfriend, but never once mentioned any involvement of Jody and his partner.

Some 17 months later, Jody, Adrian and their girlfriends were brought to trial. The police informer did not attend the trial; apparently he had run away. Employees of the travel agency gave evidence that Jody had been waiting for a visa for his girlfriend so that they could go to the UK and that he had no money or assets. In contrast, it was evident that Adrian had large amounts of money at his disposal in addition to cars, houses and expensive watches. When Jody’s defence lawyer asked the arresting officer why he had taken his client into custody, the officer replied “because he was in the house”. When challenged as to why the employees living on the premises had not been remanded, the policeman had no answer. Adrian’s girlfriend tried to put all blame on Jody and his partner. Neither the prosecution nor the judge showed any interest in Jody’s account of events. Jody was only questioned about his passport and his visa and not about the drugs at all.

All four were sentenced to death plus 20 years, which was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Fair Trial Issues

1. The conviction is based on the information of the police informer, yet his reports do not mention either Jody or his girlfriend as participants in the drugs production scheme. No evidence linking Jody to the crime presented to the court.
2. During his police interview Jody was not allowed access to legal representation.
3. No interpreter was present and nothing was translated into English.
4. Jody was forced to sign a confession; a pre-drafted text in Thai, which he did not understand.

Since then,. Adrian’s Thai girlfriend has written a statement in her prison cell, retracting her claim during the trial and to confess that Jody and his partner had no involvement whatsoever. This document is now in the hands of the lawyer, but it is apparently too late to be introduced into the appeal procedures. It will be possible to use it if it becomes necessary to take the case to the Supreme Court.

It should be noted that, at the time of the judgment, judges were under a lot of political pressure as the Thai Prime Minister had announced that Thailand would be drugs free within 4 months. Judges were obliged to give harsh verdicts in drugs cases so as not to jeopardise their careers.