• [Dailystar Icon]
• News
• World News
• Thailand holidays

Brit backpacker 'picked up wrong phone in bar' now he is facing years in hellhole jail

Rory McColl, 37, says it was a complete accident and he picked up a stranger's phone from a bar, thinking it was his own.

[Rory McCollis facing jail after picking a woman's phone by mistake in a Bangkok bar.]

Rory McCollis facing jail after picking a woman's phone by mistake in a Bangkok bar.

A Brit backpacker is facing years in prison after he accidentally picked up a stranger's phone by mistake. Rory McColl, 37, says it was a complete accident and he picked up a stranger's phone from a bar, thinking it was his own.

He flew into Bangkok on March 9 for a 12-day trip but was arrested on his first night after bar staff alerted police and is now facing years behind bars. The incident happened after a night out in the bar and he was arrested by officers and spent time in jail, with officers confiscating his passport.

His parents say the father-of-one spent two nights in a concrete cell before being released on bail, but still cannot get home and now is waiting to see if he will face trial. So far he has been in the country waiting for seven weeks and is due to appear in court on April 28.

[He was on holiday in Bangkok when it happened]

He was on holiday in Bangkok when it happened

McColl has been told he could face up to three years in jail unless the charge is dropped at a preliminary hearing and is anxiously awaiting to hear his fate. His parents, Helen and John McColl, said they are 'worried sick' as they support him from Scotland and say they just want their boy home.

"It all happened so quickly - before Rory knew it the police were there," he said. "Then he was cuffed and taken to the cells. He was there for two nights - he told us it was horrendous. He was on a concrete floor and all he had for a pillow was a plastic water bottle."

McColl had been drinking on Bangkok's Khao San Road when the incident happened which was allegedly a complete mix up. He saw he had misplaced his phone, and then spotted an identical device from the bar, and thought it was his.

He then realised it was not his and tried to find the owner, saying it was nothing but a simple mix up. But police were not convinced and arrested him.

McColl claims he paid around 1,000 for bail after two nights in custody, with his passport confiscated before he was allowed back to a hotel, where he has remained ever since.

His parents are now worried he will never get home but McColl has told them he is trying to stay positive as he waits for answers, rarely leaving his hotel apart from short walks.

Police at Chanasongkhram Police Station confirmed he was arrested between March 9 and 10 on suspicion of night-time theft, adding there was no record of it being a misunderstanding and that the case is now with prosecutors.

Under Thai law, the offence carries a potential jail term of one to five years and a fine.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said it is supporting a British national and remains in contact with local authorities.

[Dailystar Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.