A young Brit has been handed a life sentence in Dubai after she made a ‘stupid mistake’, according to her mother, who has been trying to raise funds for legal fees
A devastated family have revealed that their daughter has been sent to jail in Dubai for life after make a “very stupid mistake”. Relations of Mia O’Brien, 23, from Huyton, Liverpool, have launched a GoFundMe to help with travel and legal fees.
It has not been confirmed what Mia’s “stupid mistake” was, but life sentences – which last about 15 years in the United Arab Emirates – can be for a variety of reasons, such as drug trafficking or violence.
Mia has been transferred to another prison since being handed her life sentence, with the UAE known for their brutal jail conditions. Her mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, has described her immeasurable shock.
She detailed on the GoFundMe page: “Mia has been given a life sentence over in Dubai and she is now in central prison”.
The page has since been taken down, with no indication on whether the fundraising goal was reached. McKenna continued: “As you can all probably imagine, as her mother I am absolutely devastated. I haven’t seen my daughter since last October.
“Mia is only 23 years old and has never done a bad thing in her life. This is a young girl, who went to university to do law, and unfortunately got mixed up in the wrong so-called friends and made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price.
“So all I ask is if you can donate anything you can spare, even if it’s a £1, it could help up massively and I would be forever grateful. Thank you so much.”
Later, she added: “I just want to thank everyone for their donations so far, this money will be used to send to my daughter Mia, and also for any legal fees that may arise, and maybe even to go towards getting family over to Dubai to see her, as none of us have seen Mia since last October, so thank you all so much.”
Speaking to the Mail, Danielle said: “She’s going through it at the minute. She’s just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence.
“It’s been a massive shock.”
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a warning to visitors to Dubai on its website, but only regarding drug-related crimes. It reads: “There is zero tolerance for drugs-related offences.
“The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe. Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty.
“Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs, including cannabis, can lead to a minimum 3-month prison term or a fine of between 20,000 UAE dirham (£4,000) and 100,000 UAE dirham (£20,000).The Emirati authorities count the presence of drugs in the blood stream as possession.
“Some ‘herbal highs’ and products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are illegal in the UAE”.
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