Enzo Bettamio, an 18-year-old international kart racer, has denied murdering Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, also known as Angela, within hours of arriving in the UK. The dual Brazilian and Italian national appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
Charges and Extradition
Bettamio was charged with murder after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates in April. The court previously heard that the defendant allegedly killed Ms Thiamphanit during a 24-hour period in the UK in 2024. At the time, he was 16 years old.
Timeline of Events
Bettamio arrived in the UK on a flight from Los Angeles on April 5, 2024. He used the Airbnb app to book a room for a month at Ms Thiamphanit's property in Stanhope Place, near Marble Arch in central London. Ms Thiamphanit spent that evening playing board games with friends and left in the early hours of April 6, citing an emergency at the Stanhope Place address. An Uber minicab dropped her off at 4:24 am, which was the last time she was seen alive.
Thirteen hours later, Bettamio allegedly flagged down a black cab on nearby Bayswater Road to take him to the airport, where he bought a ticket to Dubai. Ms Thiamphanit's friends became concerned and alerted police, who found her body inside her home on April 8. A post-mortem examination revealed she died from multiple sharp force injuries.
Court Proceedings
At the hearing before Judge Simon Mayo KC, Bettamio spoke only to confirm his identity and deny the charge of murder. He wore a dark Adidas tracksuit jacket and had a plaster covering his right eye. He was remanded into custody and will face trial beginning on February 1 next year.
Bettamio, of no fixed address, remains in custody pending trial.
