Mia O’Brien, 23, from Merseyside, was sentenced to life in prison in Dubai after being caught with 50 grams of the Class A drugs in the Middle East in October, her mum has said
A British student has found herself trapped in a ‘living nightmare’ after receiving a life sentence in Dubai. Mia O’Brien, 23, from Huyton, Merseyside, was reportedly discovered with 50 grams of Class A substances in the Middle East last October, according to her mum.
The Liverpool University undergraduate was found guilty by a judge following a day-long court session on July 25, with her heartbroken mum alleging the “trial was all in Arabic”. Alongside her shocking imprisonment, Mia has also been slapped with a staggering £100,000 penalty.
Mia, who entered a not guilty plea to the accusations, is currently detained at Dubai’s notorious Central Prison. Meanwhile, anxious family members have persistently maintained her innocence, with her mother branding her case a “miscarriage of justice”.
Dreams Crushed
Mia, hailing from Huyton, Merseyside, had been pursuing legal studies at Liverpool, harbouring ambitions of eventually becoming a barrister or solicitor. However, now facing an extensive prison term, Mia allegedly believes these aspirations have been “destroyed”, reports the Mirror.
In conversation with the Mail Online, Mia’s mother Danielle McKenna, revealed: “Mia feels she has destroyed her life as she wanted to be a lawyer or solicitor. I speak to her but she can’t say too much on the phone. She’s just made a stupid mistake after going over to see a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai.”
According to Danielle, 46, Mia isn’t a drug user and has never previously found herself in trouble with the law. The mum-of-five also doesn’t think her daughter planned to either flog the substances or transport them home with her.
‘Living Nightmare’
Mia is presently detained within Dubai’s Central Prison, an institution infamous for its cramped conditions, brutal assaults, and appalling circumstances. There have been previous accounts of sexual violence, and of inmates being tortured into making confessions.
Prisoners must also endure a total absence of privacy, with cells designed for three or four people crammed with up to twenty individuals. Some might even find themselves sharing sleeping spaces with multiple other inmates.
Danielle disclosed: “She is absolutely devastated by what has happened. Mia is being really strong but I know she is going through a living hell. The prison conditions are horrendous. There are no staff really and she has to bang on a big door if she needs anything.
“She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared. Mia said she has to sleep on a mattress on the floor and shares the cell with six others. But she’s not been ill – she has just come out in a few rashes.”
Appeal Hopes
It’s understood that Mia hasn’t settled the hefty fine, and that she’s due to have an appeal heard within the coming weeks. Danielle revealed: “She said she hopes that she might get sent back to serve her sentence here after Ramadan when they might do clemency deals.
“But she is devastated by what has happened. We we were all shocked by the sentence she was given.
“But Mia is being really brave about it but she really misses her two young brothers who are aged just five and seven. She just wants to come home.
“I want her home too – she’s my only daughter. I was so shocked when she told me what had happened – I would never had thought it in a million years. She can’t wait to come home. She said the prison can be scary but she’s just trying to keep her head down.”
GoFundMe Controversy
A GoFundMe page set up by Danielle to raise funds for Mia’s legal costs has been removed from the platform. A GoFundMe spokesman has confirmed that the page violated community guidelines.
Speaking about her determination to secure Mia’s release, Danielle explained: “Mia has been given a life sentence over in Dubai and she is now in central prison. 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.”
A GoFundMe representative explained: “It was removed because it violates Term 9 of the Prohibited Conduct section in our Terms of Service. Term 9 prohibits raising funds on GoFundMe for the legal defence of certain alleged crimes.”
Danielle has also expressed gratitude to contributors, saying: “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.”
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