Aussie Jailed in Thailand for Eating Donuts

I watch the Locked Up Abroad show on National Geographic pretty regularly, but even on there I haven’t seen something as absurd as this:

Sean Kearney told The Daily Telegraph
yesterday he was lining up at a 7-Eleven store in Bangkok with two
bottles of water and some doughnuts when he was taken by police for
eating the doughnuts before he reached the counter about January 20
this year.

Mr Kearney said the store attendant phoned the
police, who arrested him when he reached the counter with the empty
doughnut packet.

Mr Kearney, who teaches at Waverley College in Sydney’s east, couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Within 30 seconds police turned up and they were at the register and at the door,” he said.

“I told them that I had money to pay but they wouldn’t listen.”

Mr Kearney said he then tried to run from the officers, who later caught him and locked him up for 22 hours before his release.

They alleged he stole the doughnuts and water, worth 40 baht ($1.47).

“I told them I didn’t steal anything but they didn’t believe me,” he said.

“They wouldn’t talk money with me until I apologised. It was like a respect thing.

“I was told if I paid police $5000 I could get an earlier court date and be released from jail.

“Once I gave them the money I got my passports back and was allowed to leave.”   [News.com]