A British husband was robbed at gunpoint and mugged as his wife went to use the toilet in a bar on the first day of their holiday in Thailand.
Mik Laverty, an Army veteran, was mugged at gunpoint by two men while on holiday in Phuket Island.
The couple, from Newton Aycliffe in Durham, had travelled to Thailand to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Mik Laverty, an Army veteran, pictured with his wife Denise, was mugged at gunpoint by two men while on holiday in Phuket Island
Mrs Laverty had gone into a bar to use the toilet while her husband waited for her outside.
When she returned she couldn’t see him among crowds of people in the street. She frantically searched the area before returning to their hotel.
Staff checked CCTV footage but there was still no sign of Mr Laverty until the hotel was contacted by a nearby hospital to say one of their guests had been admitted.
Mrs Laverty then rushed to the hospital where she found her badly beaten husband.
Mr and Mrs Laverty, who have two sons, have already had to pay about £3,000 for hospital treatment but are concerned about spiralling costs while their insurers investigate
Mrs Laverty said she was ‘devastated’ by what had happened during their dream holiday
When he told the attackers he had no money, they took his watch and keys before leaving him in a side street with multiple leg fractures which have since been operated on.
She has reported the attack to police and the couple expect to speak to the British Embassy today.
Mr and Mrs Laverty, who have two sons, have already had to pay about £3,000 for hospital treatment but are concerned about spiralling costs while their insurers investigate.
An online fundraising campaign called ‘Get Mik and Denise Home’ was set up by a friend of Mrs Laverty’s and has raised almost £1,000 in the first 24 hours.
Mrs Laverty said support from home is helping them get through the ordeal.
Writing on Facebook she said: ‘This has been the worst experience in my life ever I am truly gutted and devastated as to what has happened and appreciate what everybody has done for me and Mik.
‘I just so can’t wait to be back in the UK and get this horrific ordeal put behind us.’