A Spanish culinary YouTuber who killed a surgeon while on vacation in Thailand received a life sentence.
According to reports from the Associated Press, BBC, and CBS News, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 30, assassinated Colombian physician Edwin Arrieta Arteaga on the Thai island of Koh Phangan in August.
Sancho is the son of Rodolfo Sancho, a well-known Spanish actor, and the story has received extensive media coverage in Spain, according to CBS. Silvia Bronchalo, Sancho’s mother, has previously acted, according to the Associated Press.
The publications claim that Sancho’s assistance throughout the trial led to a modification of his sentence from an initial death sentence.
The AP reports that the court has ordered Sancho to compensate Arrieta’s family with 4.2 million baht, equivalent to $125,000. According to Spanish news site EFE, Sancho can petition to have the balance of his sentence transferred to Spain, provided he pays the appropriate sum and serves at least four years in Thailand.
According to the Associated Press, Sancho pleaded not guilty during his trial, claiming he was acting in self-defense after alleging that Arrieta attempted to sexually attack him. According to the AP, Sancho admitted to dismembering the surgeon’s body and disposing of it both on land and at sea.
Given Sancho’s family’s prominence, HBO made a Spanish documentary about the case called El Caso Sancho.
Bussakorn Kaewleeled, an attorney for Arrieta’s family, told CBS that the plaintiff is satisfied with the sentence because he will serve a life sentence and receive some financial compensation.
Sancho created his YouTube account, “Pero Disfrute,” in 2022.