Tsunami 'good samaritan' arrested on return home

A Gold Coast man dubbed "the good samaritan of Patong Beach" for his rescue role during the tsunami disaster in Phuket, Thailand, has been arrested on arrival back in Australia.

Thomas David Connell, 31, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm whilst in company and entering a dwelling with intent after a home invasion on the Gold Coast in 2002.

Since 2002, police efforts to locate Connell have failed.

That was until police saw Connell being interviewed on television recounting his role in rescuing people on Patong Beach.

Connell appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning and was granted bail.

Speaking afterwards, the father of one says police have the wrong man.

"To be a life saver, saving 20 people, then coming back to my own country and I'm going straight into a bloody jail cell," he said.

Connell will face a Gold Coast court early next month.

--abc.net.au

No good deed goes unpunished.... the Australian government sure is buddy-buddy with the Thai these days...

Um!

If he is innocent he will get off.

If not, just goes to prove that you can be a good samaritan one minute and a bastard the next.

If he is innocent he will get off. 

If not, just goes to prove that you can be a good samaritan one minute and a bastard the next.

Now ain't that the truth!

He was a bastard first....

He and a mate broke into a house and beat someone up, he isnt being charged with burglary just an intent.

Now how did the cops recognise him without him having previous form ??? or at least information about him, maybe forensic evidence, the guy is no cleanskin.

Ok so he did good in Thailand and no one would deny him dues for that, but the fact is that he has been charged with the offence and will get his day in court, if found guilty then he has to cop the punishment....Alan Bond was a hero when we won the Americas Cup....he still went to jail for fraud though...

If he is innocent he will get off. 

If not, just goes to prove that you can be a good samaritan one minute and a bastard the next.

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Now ain't that the truth!

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Humans are certainly complex and most are definitely flawed. Many of the visitors to Pattaya may be fine citizens back home, but they sure act like idiots once on holiday. A fine husband, father, son and employee can end up a drunken lout causing havoc on Walking Street very quickly. They can only hope; What happens in Pattaya stays in Pattaya!"

If he is innocent he will get off.

Yep,thats exactly how it works the innocent get off.