A number of Brits have been arrested and thrown behind bars abroad for some pretty bizarre reasons – including some that are rather embarrassing
Brits flocking abroad to blow off steam are being warned that one boozy evening as a tourist could easily turn into a hellish holiday locked up.
Intoxicated Brits have faced penalties as severe as capital punishment following wild evenings out overseas, whilst others were simply trying to earn a living when they somehow found themselves behind bars.
The startling case of Jim Fitton, who’s been branded Britain’s own Indiana Jones, made headlines after he was imprisoned for trafficking historical artefacts from Iraq.
Meanwhile campaign organisations like Detained in Dubai have warned that thousands of Brits will keep getting arrested for ridiculous offences such as sending an offensive text message.
Below the Daily Star has revisited some extraordinary cases that saw Brits detained and imprisoned abroad.
Bloke nicked for attempting to pinch an elephant
Nick Bass, from Sheffield, was banged up after he broke into a circus and attempted to nick an elephant and a costume.
The Brit was arrested following his antics during a boozy evening out at a local circus in Cairns, Australia.
He teamed up with another random party-goer on a road trip and tried on clown outfits worth £2000. They were locked up whilst awaiting trial.
“It was jumping on [ the ] trampoline, playing with the trapeze, running around like drunken children,” he said at the time. Luckily, the more severe charges against Nick were dropped and he faced only breaking and entering allegations.
He revealed the courtroom erupted in laughter over his offence, and his punishment was reduced to a £500 fine, whilst his pal was ordered to pay £1,200 after vandalising a police vehicle during his arrest.
Brit Jailed for letting off 5p firework
Tom Hudson, from Kidderminster in the Midlands, jetted off to Thailand to ring in the New Year but found himself behind bars instead.
The self-proclaimed raver claimed he was held at knifepoint by a hotel employee during his stay and chose to catch a boat to Phuket with his mate George following the frightening incident.
As the clock struck midnight, the duo joined revellers on the main street to celebrate and were approached by a woman flogging a box of fireworks for “pennies.”
Recalling the moment he ignited the firework, the 23 year old explained: “When it went bang, someone grabbed my hand. At first, I thought it was someone helping me set the firework off but then he took it and threw it on the floor.
“He put my hands behind my back and put me in handcuffs. I threw my phone to George and then four cops turned up in uniform and took me to the police station in the back of a white pick-up truck.”
Thailand’s fireworks legislation was toughened in 2018, treating them identically to explosives, meaning misuse could result in the death penalty, reports The Mirror. Fortunately, Tom was freed after one of the women he had been speaking with earlier that evening gave a statement to police.
He was forced to hand over approximately £500 before his release.
Woman falsely accused of sexual activity in vehicle
Rebecca Blake, 35, was accused of having sex with a stranger in the back seat of a taxi which tests later revealed to not be true.
The British national had departed her residence in Dorking, Surrey, and relocated to Dubai where she encountered Connor McRedwood, 30, at a brunch gathering in May 2012.
The pair shared transport following their drinking session and cracked open a bottle of beer during the journey, according to The Sun.
She recalled at the time: “I had no idea alcohol was illegal unless you had a licence. I had no idea that was going to be the moment my life completely changed.
“He had a bottle of beer on him. We got into a taxi and the driver started going completely the wrong way.
“We ended up having a bit of an argument. Next thing we know, the driver pulls over. There’s a police car on the side.”
Rebecca was subsequently detained on allegations of sexual activity, public indecency and consuming alcohol without proper authorisation, and was imprisoned in a roach-ridden cell.
“It looked like a dungeon. It was all underground,” she continued.
“The smell was revolting. It smelled of really strong urine.”
Rebecca was freed on bail five days later but was still required to appear in court. The sexual conduct charge was ultimately dismissed, however she was convicted of indecency because the gentleman had touched her shoulder.
Chef accused of massive drug deal after booking table for 10
Chef Luke Tully claimed he was locked up in Dubai for 19 months after police allegedly mistook a customer’s table reservation for drug dealing code.
The father-of-four was working at a restaurant in the city when he received a text from a dealer he knew, asking if they could reserve a table for 10.
Officers arrested the dealer and discovered the message, which they believed was coded language for a transaction involving 10g of cocaine, according to The Mirror.
The 43 year old alleged that police threatened to hurl him from a balcony unless he “told them where the drugs were.”
He claims to have forked out an eye-watering £150,000 on legal costs before eventually being freed and returning home to Hertfordshire.
He cautioned Britons about travelling to the UAE, saying: “Don’t bother if you value your liberty.”
Brit ‘Indiana Jones’ faces death penalty for taking broken pottery
Retired geologist Jim Fitton, 66, is facing the death penalty after being accused of taking 12 stones and shards of broken pottery that he discovered during an archaeological tour.
The historic pieces were found on both the dad and German national Volker Waldmann as they prepared to fly out of Iraq in March.
He plead with judges and told them that he didn’t carry out the act with criminal intent and said he wasn’t aware that he was breaking the law. His daughter, Leila Fitton, expressed her heartache and fear as her father remained in custody on her wedding day, according to the Independent.
“It breaks my heart that my father, Jim, is not here,” she voiced earlier this month.
“The uncertainty of his situation and the horrible, but very real, possibility of the death penalty is hanging over us.”
Jim’s family initiated a petition urging the government to intervene, stating: “Whilst on the tour, our father visited historical sites around Iraq, where his tour group found fragments of stones and shards of broken pottery in piles on the ground.
“Tour members were told that this would not be an issue, as the broken shards had no economic or historical value.”
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