A British man who bought a drink on holiday in Morocco has been jailed for ten years. Oliver Andrews, from Bournemouth, was in a club on the last night of his trip to Marrakech in November before being detained by police.
The authorities accused the 29-year-old of using counterfeit money, claiming half of the holidaymaker's cash was fake. The pair were jailed by police before being convicted five months after, reports the Mirror.
Mr Andrews was accused of further charges relating to an organised crime group and creating counterfeit money but those charges were dropped by judges. The Brit claims he had no knowledge the cash used was not real.
His distraught partner, Alanna Cornick, told the BBC that she is lost for words since his conviction: "I've been an absolute mess.
"I'm lost for words - I literally can't believe it.
"It's been the most emotional 24 hours ever. We've just got to stay hopeful and keep our fingers crossed.
Mr Andrews' family say he has been denied the chance to have a translator or to speak with a lawyer, while they revealed their worry for his health as he has a heart condition which requires daily medication.
Ms Cormick added: "We just want the embassy to do their job and go and visit him, and make sure to check on his welfare.
"The condition that he's living in is just heartbreaking on a daily basis."
Writing on Facebook, his partner described the conditions in the jail as 'cramped' with more than 30 prisoners positioned in a 12-person cell. She claims Mr Andrews's mental and physical state was 'deteriorating'.
She wrote: "When we visited him in the prison, he was in a very deteriorating mental and physical state and had begun to entertain suicidal thoughts due to not being able to communicate with anyone because of the language barrier."
The two men are awaiting a new court date to be confirmed as the case will be heard in front of a new judge.
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