19 April 2023 , 05:01
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A British man has been jailed for ten years after using counterfeit money to pay for a drink in Morocco.
Oliver Andrews, from Bournemouth, was arrested in November after police accused him and a friend of using fake money.
The 29-year-old went to a club in Marrakech with his friend on the last night of their holiday and bought a drink.
The next day police detained the pair and informed Mr Andrews that half of his money was fake.
The duo were then jailed before being convicted some five months later.
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Mr Andrews was facing further charges of creating an organised crime group and making counterfeit money, but these were later dropped.
Alanna Cornick says she has been an 'absolute mess' since her partner was sentenced (o_andrews_93/Instagram)He maintains that he had no idea that the money he was using was fake.
Alanna Cornick, Mr Andrews' partner, told the BBC that the decade-long sentence was the "worst possible outcome" and said they would be launching an appeal.
She said: "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 is reportedly struggling in an extremely cramped prison cell (o_andrews_93/Instagram)The family of Mr Andrews say that he has been denied an official translator or chance to speak to a lawyer, and have expressed concern about his heart condition which requires him to take daily medication.
Ms Cornick told the BBC that she was urging the British Embassy to ensure Oliver's wellbeing.
"We just want the embassy to do their job and go and visit him, and make sure to check on his welfare," she said.
"The condition that he's living in is just heartbreaking on a daily basis."
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Writing on Facebook, Ms Cornick described his prison conditions as "cramped", with 32 people crammed into a 12-person cell.
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 now waiting for a new court date to be scheduled when their case will be heard for second time under a new judge.