The family of murdered British backpacker Hannah Witheridge have said that their “hearts are broken” following the death of her sister five years and one day later.

Miss Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, was found dead on a beach in Thailand on September 15 2014.

Her sister Laura Daniels, 30, had been “gravely ill” and died in hospital on Monday, her family said.

They said in a statement: “We confirm that our beautiful girl Laura passed away on Monday 16 September.

“Laura had been gravely ill and was being treated in hospital.

“Our hearts are broken, our lives are shattered once more.

“The pain of this loss is indescribable and our family very much need time and privacy during this unbearable time.”

The bodies of Miss Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller, from Jersey, were found on the resort island of Koh Tao in 2014.

They had arrived in Thailand separately and met at the hotel where they were both staying.

The conviction of two Burmese migrants sentenced to death for their murder was upheld last month.

Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin had denied killing Mr Miller and raping and killing Miss Witheridge.

Lawyers for the two men had claimed evidence used in the case against them was mishandled and they made confessions under duress that they later retracted, raising questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand.

Human Rights Watch at the time called the verdict “profoundly disturbing”, citing the defendants’ accusations of police torture that were never investigated and questionable DNA evidence linking them to the crime.

But Thailand’s Supreme Court upheld their convictions.

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