A Scottish father is facing potential jail time in Thailand after accidentally picking up a stranger's phone from a bar, his family has said. Rory McColl, 37, from Edinburgh, mistook the woman's phone for his own shortly after arriving for a holiday in Bangkok on March 9.
McColl realised his mistake but was arrested for theft and spent his first two nights in a filthy cell, according to his sister Joanna McLaughlin. He was released after paying £1,000 in bail, but police seized his passport, leaving him stranded in the country for almost a month as he awaits a court date.
Speaking about the incident, Ms McLaughlin said: 'He normally keeps his phone in his pocket and had forgotten that he had a travel waist bag where he was keeping his valuables. At some point, he went to get his phone, couldn't find it in his pocket and saw the same phone as his sitting on the bar. He picked it up thinking it was his.'
The family fear McColl could be sentenced to a notorious Thai prison, such as Klong Prem Central or Bang Kwang Central. Ms McLaughlin described his conditions in the jail as 'horrendous'. The British Embassy has advised that it cannot intervene in criminal cases.
Loved ones have launched a GoFundMe appeal to cover living costs and legal fees. 'As a family, we are desperate to get Rory home,' Ms McLaughlin added. 'He has to get back for his son and his work.'
