Man Faces 5 Years in Thai Prison for Phone Mix-Up

0:00A 37-year-old dad from Edinburgh, named Rory McColl, is stuck in Thailand facing up to five years in prison for accidentally grabbing the wrong phone in a bar. He thought it was his own on his first night in Bangkok back on March 9th. Now his employer, Bucks Bar, just fired him as manager while he stranded abroad with no passport. He headed to Thailand solo to clear his head after his seven-year relationship ended. Thai law hits harder for theft at night, turning him mix up into an aggravated charge. His family says the bar knew it was a misunderstanding, but acts him anyway since he was on a final warning from before. The backlash is real. His folks call the kicking a man while he's down, especially with his 12-year-old son back home begging for dad on FaceTime. Rory spent two nights on a concrete self-floor, and the stress is crushing the whole family. Upcoming, he's got a preliminary court hearing on Tuesday, April 28th, where he'll plead not guilty. The phone's owner emailed, saying it was a genuine mistake, and she's cool with dropping charges.

1:03But a fake lawyer scammed him, too, pocketing his 1,000 pounds bail and faking court meets. Families showed out nearly 5,000 pounds on legal fees, rent, and hotel stays, with a go-fun me-live to help. They're pushing for a quiddle, or at worst, a one-year suspended sentence, determined to bring Rory home safe. From your city, powered by AI, this is Edinburgh News Today.