Woman tells court of pirates ordeal in Thailand

From the witness box in the Provincial Court in Satun, southern Thailand - as the authorities sought a rapid conclusion to the case - grandmother Linda Robertson said: "They tied my hands and feet behind me. I did not resist them. I could not."

She said she did not see what happened to her husband, Malcolm: "I heard him shout 'Get off my boat!' and I heard the sound of a struggle. Then there was silence. I never saw my husband again after that."

In the dock were two of her attackers, Burmese migrant fisherman Aow, 18, and Ek, 19, who she claims first confronted her and then tied her up before going to her husband's cabin.

Mrs Robertson, 57, from St Leonards, East Sussex, said the youngest of the group, Ko, aged 17, who was appearing later today in a juvenile court, had been kind.

"He kept saying sorry all the time. And he stroked my feet which were in agony. I asked him if they were going to kill me and he said 'No'. I asked when they would leave and he pointed 9o'clock on the cabin clock."

Thai naval vessels and planes were still searching for Mr Robertson's body. The three Burmese have only been charged with kidnap and theft. Thai police say all three have confessed to killing Mr Robertson, 64.