Scot arrested in Thailand over alleged phone theft faces six-week verdict wait
Rory McColl was arrested in Bangkok in March over an accusation that he stole a woman's phone.
Scot arrested in Thailand over alleged phone theft faces six-week verdict wait
Rory McColl is stranded in Thailand because of what he says is a misunderstanding over a mobile phone
A Scottish backpacker arrested in Thailand after being accused of stealing a mobile phone now faces a six-week wait to learn whether he will be allowed to go home.
Rory McColl, from Edinburgh, says he accidentally picked up a woman’s phone from a bar, believing it was his own, only hours after arriving in Bangkok in early March.
His family told BBC Scotland News that two Thai police officers gave evidence that the incident was a "misunderstanding" and that no-one else, including the alleged victim, said anything different during a hearing before four judges in the Thai capital on Thursday.
The verdict is expected on 9 December.
McColl, 37, remains free on bail for now.
He had earlier spent seven weeks staying in a hotel in Pattaya, around 90 miles (150km) south east of Bangkok.
His parents previously told the BBC that after a 30-hour trip to Thailand, he had been drinking in a bar when he realised he had lost his phone.
He said he then spotted an identical one on the bar in the world famous KahoSan Road district.
McColl put the phone in his pocket without realising it belonged to another tourist.
It was returned to the woman shortly afterwards, and McColl explained to police what had happened.
But he was arrested the next day and accused of stealing a mobile phone.
He spent two days in a Thai jail before being released on bail.
His passport was taken, so he is currently unable to leave the country.