An Australian man narrowly avoided gaol time in Brunei after being caught in a forbidden love-affair with a woman he met while working in the country.

Tony Scott was appointed as Brunei’s national lawn bowls coach, where it was hoped that he would lead the team victory in the 2014 Commonwealth games.

For a while, it was a dream job with lots of perks - including an 8-bedroom mansion personally gifted to Scott by the Sultan of Brunei for the duration of his stay.

But, things became complicated when Scott fell in love with Muslim woman Rosita Kamis, the star player on his team.

“I had a job to do, but I did fall in love with one of my bowlers, and I told her,” Scott said on A Current Affair.

In 2014, Brunei became the first country in South-East Asia to adopt sharia law, meaning everyday civil affairs are now heavily regulated.

While the relationship was happy, Scott believes other teammates quickly became jealous and turned on him by tipping off the sharia police.

The situation escalated, and one morning Scott woke to “at least 20 people” who said they were from the Ministry of Religious Affairs trying to enter his house.

Scott was summonsed to appear before a Sharia Law court for the crime of ‘containment’ - being in the same house, at the same time as a woman. The maximum penalty for this crime is 12 months’ imprisonment.

When the Brunei Sports Ministry told Scott he should leave “for his own safety”, he decided to flee back to Australia with Kamis.

Scott told A Current Affair that he and Kamis have chosen to settle in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, but the ordeal has had its cost. Kamis was forced to leave her family in Brunei, and the couple estimates they spent around $150,000 on legal fees.