An 18-year-old man, Enzo Bettamio, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his AirBnb host, Kamonnan Thiamphanit, also known as Angela, in central London. Bettamio, an international kart racer, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates and charged with the murder. He appeared at the Old Bailey to enter his plea as part of trial preparation.
Bettamio, a dual Brazilian and Italian citizen, allegedly stabbed Ms. Thiamphanit during a 24-hour period in 2024 when he was 16 years old. He had flown from Los Angeles to the UK on April 5, 2024, and booked a room through the Airbnb app at Ms. Thiamphanit’s property near Marble Arch in central London.
On the evening of April 5, Ms. Thiamphanit was seen playing board games with friends at her place and left in the early hours of April 6 due to an emergency. An Uber dropped her off at 4.24am, marking the last time she was seen alive. Later that day, the defendant reportedly hailed a black cab to the airport and flew to Dubai.
Ms. Thiamphanit’s friends raised concerns when they couldn’t reach her, leading the police to discover her body at her home on April 8. A post-mortem examination revealed that she had died from multiple sharp force injuries.
Bettamio, who had no fixed address, appeared in court wearing a dark Adidas tracksuit jacket with a plaster over his right eye. He denied the murder charge and was remanded into custody. The trial is set to commence on February 1 next year.