The holiday of a lifetime turned into a nightmare for Thomas Nolan, 19, who flew to Canada on August 1 with his wife Eileen Delaney and son, one.
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But two days later, he was apprehended by cops in Toronto and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in relation to an incident on June 27.
Eileen took to Facebook to air her hubby’s plight.
She wrote: “We came on holiday on the 1st August, 2023. Three days later Thomas Nolan gets beaten and arrested in Canada and accused for attempted murder.”
But she claims a sinister doppelganger is responsible and that the arrest is a horrific case of mistaken identity.
Despite being granted bail, he remains behind bars.
According to cops, on June 27, around 11:30 pm, officers were called to Lower Simcoe St. and Bremner Blvd. in the city’s Entertainment District and near the Scotiabank Arena where the NBA‘s Toronto Raptors play.
Investigators say the call was for a fail-to-remain personal injury collision.
Police said the victim and the suspect had been involved in a physical altercation.
“The suspect got into a black older model pickup truck and drove on the sidewalk,” police alleged in a news release at the time.
“The suspect, while driving on the sidewalk, struck the victim from behind.”
The enraged suspect then turned the truck around and raced down the sidewalk at a high rate of speed before fleeing the scene.
The victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Cops described the suspect as 5’8″ with short curly hair. He was driving a black 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac with Ontario plate BV68520.
A Toronto Police Service spokeswoman confirmed the arrest to The Sun: “He was arrested on August 3rd, 2023. I cannot go into detail of the investigation as it is before the courts.
“You’ll have to contact the courts to get any information regarding court information.”
Nolan’s wife remains sick with worry.
“He’s being accused of something that happened on the 27th of June, 2023. Thomas was not in Canada on these dates,” she said, adding that the couple does not have family in Canada.
She suspects that Nolan is being mistreated because he is a member of the Irish travelling community.
“He was granted bail for a substantial amount of money and several different bail conditions which he was willing to follow on the 9th of August and he still hasn’t been released as they said he’s a threat to the public for the charge against him,” she said.
She added: “He’s being mistreated by the Canadians. Thomas Nolan is an innocent man.”
Nolan has been charged with Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Assault with a Weapon, and Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance Causing Bodily Harm.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson told The Sun: “We are supporting a British man who was detained in Toronto and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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