A teenager allegedly stabbed a woman to death within hours of arriving in the UK and renting an Airbnb room in her £4 million Hyde Park mansion, a court has heard.
Details of the Case
Enzo Bettamio, 18, was charged with the murder of Kamonnan Thiamphanit after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates last week. The dual Brazilian and Italian national, then aged 16, had arrived in the UK from Los Angeles on April 5, 2024, and within 24 hours had killed Ms Thiamphanit, 27, the Old Bailey heard on Tuesday.
He had allegedly used the Airbnb application to book a room for a month at the victim's property in Stanhope Place near Marble Arch in central London, prosecutor Nadeem Holland said.
Victim's Last Movements
Ms Thiamphanit, also known as Angela, spent that evening playing board games with friends, leaving in the early hours of April 6 citing an emergency at the Stanhope Place address, the court was told. An Uber minicab dropped her off at 4:24 am, which was the last time she was physically seen alive, Mr Holland said.
Around 13 hours later, the defendant allegedly flagged down a black cab on nearby Bayswater Road to take him to the airport where he bought a ticket to Dubai. Ms Thiamphanit's friends became concerned and alerted police who found her body inside her home on April 8.
Forensic Evidence
Mr Holland said: 'She had sustained multiple stab wounds all over her body. A large silver knife was protruding from the side of her neck.' A post-mortem examination found she had died from multiple sharp force injuries.
Extradition and Charges
On April 24 this year, the defendant was extradited back to the UK from the UAE. On arrival he was arrested and taken to Charing Cross police station where he was charged with murder.
Bettamio, of no fixed address, appeared by video-link from Wandsworth Jail and spoke only to confirm his identity during the court hearing before Judge Simon Mayo KC. The judge set a plea hearing for July 14 and a provisional trial from February 1 next year. The defendant was remanded into custody.
