An Australian man has been sentenced to death in Thailand for his
role in the murder of a biker.
Antonio Bagnato, 28, was found guilty on Tuesday of killing
Australian former Hells Angels member Wayne Schneider.
Schneider, one of New South Wales' 10-most-wanted fugitives in
2006, was abducted by masked men from his home in the Thai beachside town of
Pattaya in 2015.
His naked body was found days later in a 2m (6ft) grave in the
jungle.
Bagnato, a kickboxer and Schneider's former business partner, was
convicted in the Pattaya Provincial Court of murder, deprivation of liberty and
disposing of a body.
"The first defendant [Bagnato] is found guilty of all charges
and according to the criminal code, the penalty is execution for the murder and
deprivation of liberty, plus a year in prison for hiding the body," Judge
Sirichai Polkarn said according to the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.
US man Tyler Gerard, 22, was convicted of deprivation of liberty
and sentenced to three years in jail, but his penalty was reduced to two years
because of his co-operation with authorities.
High-profile victim
Bagnato was arrested in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, soon after
37-year-old Schneider's body was found. Gerard was detained as he tried to
cross from Thailand to Cambodia.
Two witnesses told the court last year that Bagnato was present at
the time of the abduction. The judge said the GPS from a car also connected him
to the killing.
The Pattaya Mail previously
reported the GPS information showed the vehicle was at the Big Buddha Hill
burial site two hours after the kidnapping.
Bagnato and Schneider had once been partners in a boxing gym in
Sydney.
Supporters of both parties were present in court.
One of Bagnato's relatives called the verdict
"ridiculous", the ABC reported. "We've got hearts and they're
hurting right now," the relative was quoted as saying.
The case has drawn attention in Australia where Schneider had a
long criminal history.
He was on New South Wales' most wanted list for shooting a bouncer
in the kneecap outside a Sydney nightclub, though the charges were later dropped.
He also faced drug offence charges and was said to be a senior
member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
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