The sister of a man who went missing just days after scattering their mother’s ashes is praying he returns home on a March 4 flight, even if it means he’s been the victim of police brutality.

James Durkin left for Goa just after Christmas with his best friend Lex Herodotou and housemate Fergus Campbell but they have not seen him for just over a week.

After scattering his mum’s ashes his sister Charlotte Nicholls said the former Trinity School pupil began drinking heavily.

And aside from someone telling her he had been seen in a police station in Palolem last Monday, the family, who live in and around Coulsdon, has not heard where he is since.

Ms Nicholls said: “On the Sunday he got in quite a bit of trouble and started accusing people of things and beat down doors of people’s huts.

“He got into an argument with a local and then he wasn’t seen for hours.

“Then he was seen on Fifth Street with lots of cuts and bruises and the police picked him up and took him to the hospital.

“Drink took over and he started biting some of the staff and he was transferred to the city hospital.

“He came to and sobered up and they said they had cleaned him up and police picked him up and that’s where the trail goes dead.

“A police man said he had dropped him off in Palolem but we have been told he’s in a police station.”

The 35-year-old said she hopes the reason they have not heard from him is he is being held by the police.

She added: “I think the police are probably teaching him a lesson.

“I spoke to somebody this morning and she said unless you really raise the profile in the media the police won’t take any notice of this.

“You pray that the police just think ‘we are going to teach him a lesson’ rather than him being washed up on a beach.”