Thai men guilty of Luke Mitchell murder

The Victorian Supreme Court has found three men from Thailand guilty of murdering chef Luke Mitchell outside a Melbourne convenience store in 2009.

Sarud Seehaverachart (L) charged with murdering Luke Mitchell

Two Thai men have been found guilty of murdering Melbourne man Luke Mitchell in 2009. (AAP)

It took six years and an international extradition order but the men who fatally stabbed a good samaritan in Melbourne have been brought to justice.

A Victorian Supreme Court jury on Wednesday found Sarud Seehaverachart, 32, and Thatiya Terdputham, 40, from Thailand, guilty of murdering Luke Mitchell in 2009.

A third Thai man Teparat Tepsut, 32, earlier pleaded guilty to his role in the murder and was jailed for 15 years with a minimum of 11.

His plea has previously been suppressed.

Mr Mitchell, a chef, died in hospital from stab wounds after he was attacked by the trio at a 7-Eleven store on Sydney Road in Brunswick in the early hours of May 24, 2009.

The 29-year-old and his friends left a nightclub and he then intervened in a street fight involving the trio.

"For his trouble, for the decent efforts that he made, Luke Mitchell was assaulted violently," prosecutor Andrew Tinney told the court during the trial.

The trio did not initially attack but watched Mr Mitchell and his friends retreat to the 7-Eleven.

Seehaverachart, Terdputham and Tepsut armed themselves with knives and the vicious attack that followed had "shocking efficiency", Mr Tinney said.

Giving evidence during the trial, Tepsut said he saw Mr Mitchell laying in blood before the trio got into their car and left.

Within hours, Tepsut and Terdputham boarded a flight to Thailand and Seehaverachart followed later that day.

Terdputham and Seehaverachart were arrested in Thailand in 2010 and extradited to Australia.

Tepsut was arrested last year.

Seehaverachart and Terdputham pleaded not guilty to the crime.

A member of Mitchell's family clapped as the guilty verdict was read out.

Speaking outside the court, the Mitchell family was ecstatic at the result which came after six long years.

"We miss him greatly," mother Carol Mitchell also said.

"I'm sure he's watching down on us."


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Source: AAP


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