Thread: British dad jailed in Thailand for 'abducting' son

A British dad poses with the son he had been attempting to bring home when he was jailed in Thailand for abduction.
Jodie Smith last week tried to recover nine-year-old Joleon, allegedly snatched by his Thai-born mum.

The carer, 41, was held at Bangkok airport on Wednesday.
Sean Felton, of charity Abducted Angels, was detained days later.
It is understood both face allegations of trespassing at the home of Jintra Jummaimuang Smith, 31, who vanished with her son in November. Mr Felton denies the allegation.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...cting-12083653


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Originally Posted by Fluke

A British dad poses with the son he had been attempting to bring home when he was jailed in Thailand for abduction.
Jodie Smith last week tried to recover nine-year-old Joleon, allegedly snatched by his Thai-born mum.

The carer, 41, was held at Bangkok airport on Wednesday.
Sean Felton, of charity Abducted Angels, was detained days later.
It is understood both face allegations of trespassing at the home of Jintra Jummaimuang Smith, 31, who vanished with her son in November.
Mr Felton denies the allegation.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...cting-12083653

.....

of charity Abducted Angels

Wtf??

The story has almost no information except the names of some of the participants. Journalism hits a new low.

Originally Posted by Begbie

The story has almost no information except the names of some of the participants. Journalism hits a new low.

Quite a bit of information there :
A Father went and took his Son from his Thai mother , and ended up getting jailed for trespass and Child abduction .

Aren't they both accused of it?
Should have called the cops when she snatched the kid. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Originally Posted by Fluke

A SCOTS dad is behind bars in Thailand after trying to rescue his “kidnapped” son.
Jodie Smith, 41, was held as he tried to fly out of Bangkok airport with Joleon, nine.The carer, of Oxgangs, Edinburgh, tracked him down to the remote home of estranged wife Jintra — accused of fleeing Scotland with their lad.
His distraught mum Lidia Smith, 67, said: “Our hearts are breaking.”
Lidia told of the family’s anguish after cops arrested the doting dad as he and lad Joleon prepared to jet home to Edinburgh.
He’s been charged with abduction and trespassing, leaving Lidia scrambling to raise over £5,000 to pay legal fees and get him freed.

The gran insists Jodie, 41, went to recover the boy in a remote village three months after ex Jintra Jummaimuang Smith, 31, snatched him.
Lidia, of Edinburgh, said: “He was taken by his mum Jintra out of Britain without our knowledge in November and Jodie just wanted to get his son back.
“She’s getting off scot-free and yet my son is languishing in prison — we have no idea of the conditions.
“Jodie has been beside himself ever since Jintra took Joleon away, wondering where he is and if he will ever see him again.


“Losing my grandson has affected my health. Jodie tracked them down to a remote part of north Thailand via Facebook and he flew there when she refused to take his calls.”
Jodie has been in a cell in Sakon Nakhon Prison — 400 miles north of Bangkok near the Laos border — since Thursday, a day after he was held at the capital’s air hub.
Lidia claims Joleon was neglected by his mum in Thailand and sported injuries after he fell off a motorbike.
It’s also alleged he was being look- ed after by his aunt aged just ten.


She added: “When Jodie got there he found his son alone in the street outside the house.
“Jodie rang me after being reunited with Joleon and he was so happy to have found his son. He even sent me a photo of the two together smiling — I thought everything was OK.
“Joleon ran up to his dad’s car and Jodie later told me on the phone, ‘You should have seen the look on his face!’ Joleon was crying as he was so pleased to see his dad and they hugged each other.
“Jodie discovered Joleon being looked after by his 10-year-old aunt and he had a nasty injury to his foot after falling off his mother’s motorbike. She was nowhere to be seen.


“As soon as Joleon saw his dad he asked to go home as he didn’t want to stay there. So they entered the house just to get Joleon’s passport.
“Now Jodie has been arrested at Bangkok airport. He and his son were taken in a van back to the north of the country and he has been put in a prison.
“This isn’t justice. I just can’t believe this is happening to us. I just want my son and grandson back. This is a living nightmare.
“I don’t believe that any father who loves his child would just stand by for the rest of his life and do nothing after his flesh and blood just vanishes — yet he is now being jailed for trying to find his son.”


Lidia pleaded with the authorities to resolve the issue — and get the pair home.
She added: “The only thing he is guilty of his loving his son.
“He just couldn’t bear not to ever see him again. I just hope that someone can help us.”
Carer Jodie, of Oxgangs in Edinburgh, met his estranged missus in 2006 when he travelled for a year.


She got pregnant after four months and they flew to the UK to have the baby, meaning Joleon was a British national. They then tried to marry in Thailand, but the official stopped the ceremony when Jintra admitted she was already wed under local laws to another Brit.
After she divorced him, the pair got hitched here.
The relationship started to turn sour when the boy was two.
They began co-parenting after splitting until November last year, but had a fall-out when Jodie refused to let Jintra take the boy to Thailand over the festive period.


He was stunned when she then fled to her homeland with Joleon, allegedly without his consent. Jodie and his mother went to Edinburgh Airport on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, desperate to meet them off the flight after learning Jintry was expected at her work here on January 1.
But they never appeared and Jodie then went to the city’s sheriff court earlier this month and won a temporary custody order which ruled the youngster should be returned home.
And after being blanked by his ex, he took drastic action and travelled to Thailand to rescue his son with Sean Felton, founder of charity Abducted Angels, who has also been arrested.

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/new...joleon-kidnap/

OK, done

Originally Posted by Fluke

“The only thing he is guilty of his loving his son.
“He just couldn’t bear not to ever see him again. I just hope that someone can help us.”

No mention he had legal custody of the boy. If not he kidnapped the boy and got thown in the slammer. Justice served.

Thai law may have been upheld, but that doesnt necessarily mean that justice has been served.

Originally Posted by stroller

Wtf??

I think Abducted Angels is a charity that assists parents of missing or traficked kids.

Originally Posted by taxexile

Thai law may have been upheld, but that doesnt necessarily mean that justice has been served.

Had the father done the same in any country I know of result would have been same.

Originally Posted by Norton

No mention he had legal custody of the boy. If not he kidnapped the boy and got thown in the slammer. Justice served.

Although She seems to have taken him out the U.K. illegally .

Originally Posted by Fluke

Although She seems to have taken him out the U.K. illegally .

Don't know do we. If she did she to should be in the slammer.

Originally Posted by Norton

Don't know do we. If she did she to should be in the slammer.

Yep, put the muma in jail in the UK and put the papa in jail in Thailand and put the kid in the village

^Yep, that would be a fine solutiuon - not.

The article doesn't divulge the legal background, probably unknown at this point.

Weʼre raising £5,000 to help raise funds for legal bills for Joe who was arrested in Thailand for abducting his own son. Please help No matter how big or small.

Story

Jodie Smith is a loving father who travelked to Thailand in February after his estranged wife abducted their son Joleon in November 2017.

He was absolutely devastated and feared he'd never see his son again as she refused any contact or to take any calls.

In February 2018 he flew to Thailand to try to find Joleon. When he tracked him down to a remote village he was being cared for by his 10 year old Aunt and had a nasty foot injury. He also asked his father to bring him home to the UK. Joleon has a British passport and is a British Citizen.

When Jodie took his son to the airport at Bangkok he was arrested for child abduction of his own son.
We're now appealing for any donations, no matter how big or small to fight his legal case there .He's currently being held in a jail, we have no idea of conditions and no way of contacting him.

Please help us in any way you can. Lidia, Joleon's grandmother.

We're now appealing for any donations.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/joe-smith-5

Originally Posted by taxexile

Thai law may have been upheld, but that doesnt necessarily mean that justice has been served.

Thai bints invariably steal the kids in these situations to use as a bargaining chip.

Bargaining = Legal.
Kidnapping = Illegal.

Trying to save himself a few quid and now look where he is.

'Our hearts are breaking' Scottish dad's Thai jail nightmare after bid to bring back son 'snatched' by estranged wife

Family in desperate attempt to bring back Jodie Smith, 41, and his nine-year-old boy after prison ordeal.

By Sarah Arnold
25 FEB 2018
NEWS



Jodie Smith with son Joleon

A dad has been thrown into a Thai jail after attempting to bring home his son he claims was snatched by his estranged wife.

Jodie Smith, 41, from South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, was held by policeon Wednesday at Bangkok airport with nine-year-old Joleon after travelling to a remote village to find him.

He claims the youngster was illegally taken by his Thai-born wife Jintra Jummaimuang Smith, 31, last November.
Jodie was accompanied on the trip by Sean Felton, head of British support grouop Abducted Angels.
Sean was also detained.



Jintra took Joleon on holiday to Thailand but refused to return to Scotland(Image: Collect Unknown)It is understood that both men face allegations of trespassing at Jintra’s property in order to obtain Joleon’s British passport.

Sean denies the allegation.

Jodie faces additional charges of abducting his son from Sakon Nakhon Province in the north of the country.
He has been held in Sakon Nakhon Prison since Thursday.
His family say they can’t afford to pay his fines and mounting legal fees which have already topped £5000.



Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine (Image: PA Archive)Joleon’s grandmother Lidia Smith, 67, of Edinburgh, launched an online appeal to raise cash to fight the case and get him released.
His MP, Scottish Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine, also pledged to ensure her constituent gets assistance from the British consulate.
Lidia said: “Jodie has been thrown in jail on charges of trespass and abducting his son, even though Joleon was snatched by Jintra and he asked his dad to bring him home.
“He was taken by Jintra without our knowledge in November and Jodie just wanted to get his son back.
“She’s getting off scot-free yet my son is languishing in prison – we’ve no idea of the conditions. Our hearts are breaking.
“Jodie has been beside himself ever since Jintra took Joleon, wondering where he is and if he will see him again.
“He tracked them down to a remote part of north Thailand via Facebook and he decided to fly there when she refused to take his calls.



Jodie's mum Lidia has started a fundraiser for her son (Image: Collect)“When he got there, he found his son alone in the street outside the house.”
Lidia claims Joleon was being cared for by his 10-year-old aunt and had a foot injury. Jodie flew from Glasgow Airport to Bangkok on February 20.
It is claimed Jintra, who was living in Cowdenbeath, Fife, left Scotland on November 30 last year.
It’s alleged she’d told Jodie they were going for a holiday and planned to return to the UK at New Year.
The cleaning firm she worked for expected her at work on January 2.
Family insiders say Jodie and his mother waited at Edinburgh Airport on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. But Jintra and Joleon never returned.
Jodie and Lidia reported Joleon missing to Police Scotland when he first vanished.
They did not launched a missing person’s investigation as Thailand is out of their jurisdiction.
In desperation, he turned to Felton, who brought his own son Jobe home after he was taken to Thailand by his former wife. Lidia said: “When they finally found Joleon, he was in the care of his 10-year-old aunt and it was a completely unacceptable situation.
“They waited for Jintra and when she didn’t return, Joleon took the decision to take his son.
“Within hours, Jintra rang Jodie and he confirmed he was with Joleon. Jintra even told him, ‘Take him with you. He will have a better life in the UK’.



Jodie was held at Bangkok Airport (Image: Moment RF)“Joleon made the decision to go straight to Bangkok airport where he was arrested. They were then taken back to Sakon Nakhon where Jintra was waiting for them at the police station.
“She told Jodie she would drop the charges for money and a plane ticket for her back to the UK. He rang me and I started asking family and friends to help me raise the money when he called again and said, ‘Don’t send any money’.
“Shortly after, the Foreign Office called me and told me he has been taken to prison.”
Jodie, a carer, met his estranged wife at the end of 2006 when he went travelling for a year.
The couple flew back to the UK when she was seven months pregnant with Joleon.
Things started to go wrong when their son was two-and-a-half.

In an interview just before his son disappeared, he said: “Jintra started going out. On a few occasions she turned her phone off and disappeared for a weekend, with no explanation.
“I couldn’t live like that so I told her one morning before I went to work. When I got home, she had packed her things and left the house with Joleon.”
The couple have been separated for six and a half years and shared custody.
Until November 30, Joleon was co-parented spending, on average, five nights a week with Jodie and his grandmother Lidia and two nights a week with his mother.
Smith went to Edinburgh Sheriff Court on February 5 where he was awarded full custody of his son.

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine said: “I have been speaking to the family and the Foreign Office, who are offering advice and support.
“My priority is to ensure Jodie gets the proper and crucial assistance available through our consulate.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing consular assistance to the family of a British national arrested in Thailand and are in contact with the Thai authorities.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...-dads-12083308

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=578680978

Joe Smith Facebook page

https://m.facebook.com/jintra.jummaimuang.9

Jinta Jummimuang Smith Facebook page

2 snatches seldom bring satisfaction

Originally Posted by david44

2 snatches seldom bring satisfaction

I'd respectfully disagree.
One snatch is good, two is better.

,

and abduction is not considered a crime in the Thai Kingdom.

Wonder why he has been locked up then.

Originally Posted by taxexile

,

Wonder why he has been locked up then.

That is probably just internal family disputes within Thailand , its a different matter when you try to go abroad