Our dear Tom Reed is 10,000 miles from home and in need of our help.

As you may know, our friend Tom Reed, age 20, is facing a miscarriage of justice in Australia. He recently moved to Sydney from Lostwithiel, Cornwall to be closer to his brother, Toby, during a gap year before starting university. Tom was in the wrong place at the wrong time a few months ago in King’s Cross, Sydney.

Tom was arrested after going out in Sydney with a man he met at a backpackers’ hostel. They parted company and headed down separate streets when Tom saw the other man threaten a passerby with what turned out to be a fake gun, stealing their wallet.

Tom shouted at him "don’t do it, don’t do it" - this is recorded in a witness statement. However, Tom was arrested at the scene.

Tom is currently on bail, however New South Wales law states that if you are present at a crime you are guilty whether you participated or not - which is what has happened in Tom’s case, and he is looking at a possible prison sentence of five years.

Legal fees in Australia are extremely high, and we are trying to afford the top QC in Sydney to ensure this case is kicked out of court, as Tom is innocent.

AUD 20,000 has already been pledged by family, however we have been advised that legal fees for representation could be well in excess of this, possibly into six figure sums.

Tom is in a very vulnerable situation, a long way from home, and thisis a huge emotional and financial burden on what has been an unbelievably traumatic few years for Tom - his mum Nicky passed away from cancer in 2009 and his dad Tim died after falling through a roof at the family farm in 2016.

Tom’s brother Toby, who is currently living in Sydney supporting Tom says:

"It's definitely a winnable case if we can get the right legal representation. Tom's struggling at the moment. As part of his bail he's not allowed to live in the city so is an hour away, and he's really lonely. Everyone who knows Tom will tell you he's a nice, kind kid. He's been through so much in life already with losing our parents. He could not have done anything like this, it's so unfair on him."

Please consider donating to support Tom’s case. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated to get him the help he needs to avoid a prison sentence or any charge whatsoever.

Please also spread the word and share Tom’s story with your family friends via social media, email and WhatsApp.

Thank you so much for your support.

Messages from family friends include:

Lou and Andy Bamber: "We love Tom and know that he has a good heart. We’ve seen first hand the trauma he has had to deal with and he needs and deserves our support and love. Let’s hope this can all be sorted and Tom can move forward positively."

David Collin: "We cannot believe it - we're all in a state of shock. We just want him off this case and to bring home where we can look after him."