22-year-old Aussie Thomas Keating has today pleaded guilty to recklessly causing death, after he and his girlfriend, Emily Collie, collided on their jetskis during a holiday in Thailand.
Keating appeared at Karon provincial police station in Phuket, along with family members, and relatives of Collie‘s.
Police said that it was the first time Keating had driven a jetski, and his previous statements indicate that sunlight bouncing off the water temporarily blinded him moments before the collision.
Collie‘s family have released a collective statement, saying that they do not place any blame on Keating for the tragic accident, and that they wished to grieve for her together.
“We do not place any blame on Tom Keating, who we care about very much and who we know loved Emily deeply.We are all heartbroken beyond words, and at this extremely sad time, we wish to be together with our family, with Tom, and with other loved ones to grieve and celebrate Emily’s life.”
Currently, Tom is not detained, but is banned from leaving the country until the court process is completed, which is expected to take around 2 weeks.
Keating is facing a maximum of 10 years in jail, but Phuket Police‘s Colonel Sanya Thongsawad said he expects he will receive a suspended sentence of two years or less, which would then allow him to leave the country.
We’ll keep you updated as more information arises.
Photo: Facebook.
