Family of Edinburgh man trapped in Thailand after mobile phone theft mix-up hope he's home for Christmas
Edinburgh man has lost his job, home and missed his son’s 13th birthday while trapped in Thailand
The family of an Edinburgh man trapped in Thailand after a mistaken mobile phone theft are hopeful he will be home for Christmas following eight months in legal limbo.
Rory McColl, 38, was arrested in early April after he mistakenly picked up another person’s phone in a Bangkok bar, just hours after arriving in Thailand.
He spent two days in a Thai jail but was later released on bail. His passport was seized, meaning he is currently unable to leave the country.
Despite witnesses and the victim confirming the honest mistake in a Thai court on Thursday (October 29) Rory was told he will have to remain in the country until December 9, when a verdict in the case is due.
Two Thai police officers testified that the incident was a misunderstanding and no-one else, including the alleged victim, suggested otherwise during today’s hearing before four judges.
The ordeal has already seen Rory lose his job and his Willowbrae flat, and miss his son’s 13th birthday while stuck in Thailand awaiting an end to the legal proceedings.
His family are now just hoping they will be reunited in time for Christmas.
Rory’s father John McColl said: “It would be a big deal for the family to get him home for Christmas. It’s been a long journey. We thought if it wasn’t done today it would be next week, so to hear it’s December 9 is pretty bad, a real blow.
“We have had so many setbacks. Today was his seventh or eighth court hearing and each time we think ‘this is it, they will see sense and realise this wasn’t a crime’.
“So now we don’t want to get our hopes up too much, but I think he will be home for Christmas, but who really knows?
“His lawyer told him he will not go to prison, he will get home, but then she said ‘this is Thailand’, inferring anything can happen. But she is pretty confident he will get home in December.
“He is desperate to get home to his son. He has missed him terribly, FaceTiming him as much as possible.
“However, Rory got a lovely boost this week when his friends flew out to surprise him and be there for him at the hearing. He is a popular guy with great friends, who have helped him through this.”
Rory, who grew up in Stockbridge, has had to spend thousands of pounds on hotel stays while trapped in the south-east Asian country, with an online fundraiser raising £5,000 to cover some of the costs. However, he is now staying with a family he befriended in the north of the country, doing odd jobs to cover his accommodation.
Speaking about the mobile phone mix-up, John added: “It was an honest mistake. The girl who owned the phone has made it clear she sees it this way. She sent Rory an email to say as much, and she told the authorities the same.
“This crime is called a ‘night theft’ and carries a three-to-five-year prison sentence, so it’s all been a bit scary. But his lawyers have assured him all along he is not going to jail.”
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Although hopeful his son should be back in Scotland soon, John knows Rory will “have to start again” when he returns having lost so much due to this mix-up in Thailand.
He said: “He will just have to start again when he gets back, having lost his home and job while in Thailand. And he now has no money.
“So when he comes home he will have to stay with us in East Lothian, which isn’t great at the age of 38. But he will get back on his feet soon enough I’m sure.”