Thousands raised to help teenager Jamie Murphy ‘move on’ after Bali arrest

THOUSANDS of dollars have been raised for the Australian teenager arrested in Bali during schoolies week over “white powder”.

Australian teenager Jamie Murphy walks to depart to Perth at Bali International Airport. Picture: AAP Image/Johannes Christo

THOUSANDS of dollars have been raised for the Australian teenager arrested in Bali during schoolies week over “white powder” which saw him detained for three days by police.

Jamie Murphy was released from the Kuta police station last month after local authorities declared the substance he had been arrested over was not drugs, and he wouldn’t have to face drug charges which could have led to a severe prison sentence.

The 18-year-old had been picked up by security guards over a packet of white powder he was carrying that they suspected to be drugs, but test results on the substance, as well as blood and urine tests, came back negative and he was freed. Bali police said the powder was a mix of over-the-counter pain medicine and caffeine.

Jamie Murphy is a keen football player and, according to friends, is keen to move on with his life. Picture: Johannes Christo/AAP

Jamie Murphy was arrested at a Kuta nightclub. Picture: Supplied

But friends of the 18-year-old say his freedom has come at a great cost, and have banded together in a bid to raise $30,000 to help the teenager “move on”.

Mr Murphy’s mates have set up an online fundraising campaign to help clear his family’s debts, which they say were incurred over legal costs associated with the case.

Friend Bryanna Heard wrote on the page Mr Murphy was an “amazing young man” and what had happened in Bali was “a parent’s worse nightmare” which “could happen to anybody”.

“On the 22nd of November, and on only their second day in Bali jamie’s life was turned upside down,” she wrote. “Jamie returned to his hotel feeling sick, intoxicated, alone and vulnerable and was arrested for suspicion of alleged drug possession.”

The teenager maintained his innocence throughout his detention.

The powder was declared not drugs. Picture: Supplied

Ms Heard described her friend’s ordeal and said the media attention his arrest attracted had led to “defamation of his character”.

“The substance in question was eventually tested and came back as paracetamol. Jamie’s blood and urine tests came back negative, proving him to be completely innocent and just a naive teenager in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she wrote.

The close friend of the family said Jamie and his “distraught” parents were “extremely thankful” for the assistance they received from their lawyers, but said the cost had hit them hard.

“This proud hardworking normal family has been left with an immense legal bill that they are unable to cover without asking for help from our incredible community,” Ms Heard wrote.

“Jamie does not wish to go to the media and sell his story, but instead would be immensely grateful just to be able to rid himself and his family of these debts and move on.”

The page has raised more than $6700 since it was established earlier this week.

An update posted on Tuesday said: “$3,845 raised in under 24 hours with 252 shared! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. $26,155 away from our goal!”