Thailand backpacker murders: Victim's father weeps at photos

The father of murdered British backpacker Hannah Witheridge has wept as graphic photos of her body lying on a Thai beach were shown in court.

Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of his daughter's body were shown on the third day of the trial of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo.

The two men deny murdering Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey.

Their bodies were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao last September.

A police officer told the trial of the severe injuries Miss Witheridge suffered and evidence she had been raped. Mr Miller's body was discovered with severe head injuries several metres away, he said.

BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher said Miss Witheridge's father and brother sat with their heads bowed as the evidence was presented in court but continued listening.

"Thai courts make little allowance for the feelings of relatives," he said.

"So for an hour the families of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller looked and listened as crime scene pictures were shown in court."

Zaw Lin, front, and Wai Phyo (also known as Win Zaw Htun), rear, arrive at the court in Koh Samui

Speaking at the court, Mr Miller's father Ian said he and his wife Sue had come "with an open mind", adding that it had been an emotional time for the family.

"There has been lots of chit-chat on the internet. We are here for David because of his tragic death.

"We'll go with the flow as much as we can. We won't comment on the trial process. We'll be dignified for David."

Mrs Miller said: "It's been hard, very hard. Part of the reason for coming out, was to go to Koh Tao. We had one day on Koh Tao, it was really hard."

The families of Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller are now returning to the UK.

Confessions retracted

The court has now been told that vital DNA evidence cannot be retested. At the end of the trial's third day, the judge said police had informed him all the samples taken on the island were "finished" - meaning they could not be analysed again.

The prosecution says a DNA match between samples found on Miss Witheridge's body and the two defendants is central to its case.

Defence lawyers had asked for the samples to be independently verified but have now been told there is nothing left of them to re-test.

Police have, however, agreed to hand over the garden hoe which was the murder weapon, along with a shoe and a plastic bag.

The discovery of the bodies last September sparked a major police investigation and intense local and international pressure to find those responsible.

Mr Zaw and Mr Wai (also known as Win Zaw Htun), both 22 and migrants from Myanmar, also known as Burma, were arrested several weeks later.

They are said to have confessed to the crime but later retracted their statements.

The defendants have repeatedly stated their innocence over the murders, with the defence alleging they were framed.

Verdicts in the case are not expected until October.