Scot arrested in Thailand over alleged phone theft faces six-week verdict wait
BBCA Scottish backpacker who was arrested in Thailand after he was accused of stealing a mobile phone, faces a six-week wait to find out if he will be allowed to return home.
Rory McColl, from Edinburgh, claims he mistakenly picked up a woman's phone from a bar, thinking it was his own, just hours after arriving in Bangkok in early March.
His family told BBC Scotland News two Thai police officers testified that the incident was a "misunderstanding" and no-one else, including the alleged victim, suggested otherwise during a hearing before four judges in the Thai capital on Thursday.
A verdict in the case is due to be issued on 9 December.
McColl, 37, remains free on bail in the meantime.
He previously spent seven weeks living in a hotel in Pattaya, about 90 miles (150km) south east of Bangkok.
His parents previously told the BBC he had been enjoying drinks in a bar following a 30-hour journey to Thailand when he realised he had misplaced his phone.
He said he noticed 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 a fellow tourist.
It was returned to the woman a short time later and McColl explained what had happened to police.
However he was arrested the following day, accused of stealing a mobile phone.
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.