Murder of two British students solved, say police

KUCHING, Aug 6, 2014: The murder of two British medical students at dawn here today is "technically" solved, with the arrest of all the four suspects and the recovery of an alleged murder weapon.

The police also seized a Perodua Viva car which was used by the four suspects.

"Technically, the case is solved with the recovery of the knife believed to have been used in the murder," Sarawak deputy police commissioner Chai Khin Chung told reporters at a press conference.

The victims have been identified as Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both from Newcastle University.

The police have already informed the family members of the two victims.

Initial investigations revealed that the two victims had earlier entered a cafe in Abell Road, Padungan, and were drinking alcohol before an argument ensued with the suspects.

One of the suspects was said to have approached the victims and scolded them for being too loud. A war of words followed, with the students eventually leaving the premises.

However, the suspects pursued them in a car and after catching up with the victims, one of the suspects alighted and allegedly attacked them with a knife.

 Chai said a police forensic team which arrived at the scene found the first victim lying face down on the road with two stab wounds in the chest and two in the back.

The second victim was lying on the five-foot way of a shop, about two metres from the first victim, with a single stab wound to his chest.

Police have also obtained a seven-day remand order on the four suspects to facilitate investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

 Three of the suspects were arrested at 6am, about two hours after the murder took place, and the knife, which is believed to be the murder weapon was also recovered.

The fourth suspect, a 35-year-old man, was nabbed at Kenyalang Park in Kuching at 4.45pm.

The remains of the two British citizens, aged 22 and 23,  were subsequently sent to the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching for a post-mortem.

The police said that the victims were medical students at a university in Britain and were doing their practical training at SGH, with their placement due to end this Friday.

Police also revealed that two of the suspects were found to have criminal records for drug abuse and armed robbery.