NT: Mate tells of shock at police arrest over double murder

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2004
NT: Mate tells of shock at police arrest over double murder

By Karen Michelmore

DARWIN, Aug 4 AAP - A teenager today told a court of his shock when police raided his
home to arrest two of his friends over the drowning murder of two sex workers in a crocodile-infested
Northern Territory river.

Police launched a midnight raid on the Queensland family home of 18-year-old Ben Hamilton
in March to arrest teenagers Ben William McLean and Phu Ngoc Trinh over the double murder,
Darwin Magistrates Court was told today.

The teenagers were found hiding in a bedroom cupboard in the house, after travelling
to Queensland upon being questioned by Northern Territory police over the killings.

McLean and Trinh are facing a committal hearing over the murder of Thai-born Phuangsri
Kroksamrang, 58, and Somjai Insamnan, 27, at the Adelaide River, 70km south-east of Darwin,
in March.

Mr Hamilton said he knew both boys from school and had agreed to let them stay at his
family's home on March 10, but was not told why they had come to Queensland.

"I just heard from my friend that they were there to look for work," Mr Hamilton said.

The group was sleeping in Mr Hamilton's bedroom when they were woken, first by the
family dog barking, and then by a police officer banging on the back door.

"I went to the back door and there was a police officer there screaming `police, police',"

Mr Hamilton told the court.

Mr Hamilton said he was frightened as the officer pushed him towards his bedroom, and
forced him to the ground.

"They asked me where they were, I said I don't know, I couldn't see them in my room," he said.

Police found the pair hiding in the bedroom cupboard, grabbed them and handcuffed them
both, he said.

"My dad, he came in ... he was just at the door wondering what was going on."

Mr Hamilton said the teenagers looked shocked.

"Phu and Ben were quiet, they didn't say anything," he said.

"They were pretty shocked."

Darwin Magistrates Court has previously been told the two teens later admitted killing
the two prostitutes, who were bound and then thrown alive into the river.

Two separate crocodile-spotting tour operators found the clothed, floating bodies of
the women, who had been separately thrown into the river bound and weighed down with car
batteries, the court heard.

Neither teenager has been required to enter a plea.

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KEYWORD: MCLEAN

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