Trial over murder of Kiwi in Thailand postponed

Charles Jones. File photo / APN

A trial over the murder of Westport man Charles Jones, scheduled for September 18, has been postponed three times.

The 56-year-old New Zealand president of the World Croquet Federation was murdered while on holiday in Thailand just over a year ago.

He was on his way home from a world croquet tournament in London when he was stabbed to death in his hotel room in the Thai beach resort of Pattaya.

Mr Jones' sister Alison McMillan said that while the New Zealand Embassy in Thailand used to keep the family well informed, she was now getting most of her information about the trial from a friend of Mr Jones in Thailand.

"They just seem to keep putting it off for some unknown reason."

She said the trial had failed to go ahead three times and she believed it was postponed most recently because a policeman had become unavailable.

The man who was due to go on trial was still in jail.

All she knew about him was that he was Syrian.

She believed he had been working at a restaurant where Mr Jones used to go.

People wondered why she hadn't gone to Thailand for the trial but it would have been pointless as she'd have travelled there and back three times now at great expense.

"Even if we threw $100,000 at it I suppose it's not going to bring Charles back so we're just going to be patient at this stage."