The son of a famous Spanish actor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder and dismemberment of a man on the Thai island of Koh Phangan last year. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, the son of TV star Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre, claimed he killed Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga in self-defense, but he pleaded guilty to the murder in August 2023.

Sancho, 30, had told the Spanish news agency EFE that he felt like a “hostage” to Arrieta, whom he described as being obsessed with him. The case drew significant attention in Spain, with many Spanish reporters traveling to Thailand to cover the trial.

The court on Koh Samui, where the trial was held, found Sancho guilty of premeditated murder, concealing a corpse, and destruction of property. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trial. In addition to the prison term, Sancho was ordered to pay 4 million baht ($118,000; £89,000) in damages to Arrieta’s family.

Bussakorn Kaewleeled, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that they were content with the life sentence and the financial compensation awarded.

The crime came to light when police discovered parts of Arrieta’s body at a landfill on Koh Phangan in early August last year. Sancho had initially gone to the police to report Arrieta missing but later confessed to the killing during questioning.

Investigations revealed that Sancho had purchased items such as a knife, rubber gloves, and a bottle of cleaning agent, which led police to conclude that the murder was premeditated. Sancho then led authorities to seven different locations where he had disposed of Arrieta’s dismembered body in plastic bags.

Reports indicated that Sancho and Arrieta had agreed to meet after connecting online. Sancho’s defense claimed he acted in self-defense after Arrieta allegedly attempted to force him into sexual activity. In a statement published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Sancho said the plastic surgeon had “tried to rape [him].”

Sancho comes from a family of actors; his mother is actress Silvia Bronchalo, and his grandfather was the late actor Félix Ángel Sancho Gracia.