An Australian man whose girlfriend died when their jet skis collided at high speed off the southern Thai resort island of Phuket has been given a suspended one-year prison sentence.
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Thomas Keating, 22, pleaded guilty at Phuket Provincial Court and on Thursday was handed the one-year sentence – suspended for two years – for criminal negligence that led to the death last month of former Leeton resident Emily Jayne Collie, 20.
He was fined 5000 baht ($A189) and was allowed to leave Thailand. Keating said he was blinded by the sun when his jet ski crashed into hers.
Keating was accompanied by family members, his lawyer and Craig Ferguson, the Australian Consul-General for Phuket in court on Thursday. Since Ms Collie’s death there has been an outpouring of grief on social media, but also support for Keating.