British student, 23, jailed for life in Dubai after 'very stupid mistake'
A British woman has been jailed in Dubai for making a 'very stupid mistake' that has landed her a life sentence.
Mia O'Brien, from Huyton, Liverpool, is currently being held in the city's central prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and her family issued a desperate plea to others for any help they can provide.
Her mother, Danielle McKenna, has said that she is 'absolutely devastated' by the news.
In a now-deleted GoFundMe, Danielle said: "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.
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"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."
The family had initially started a fundraiser for the jailed Brit, saying that the money would be sent to Mia in order to pay for legal fees and also be used to cover travel costs so they can visit her.
However, the page has since been deleted for unknown reasons.
Speaking to the Daily Mail recently, Danielle added that her student daughter was 'going through it' in the Dubai prison.
"She's just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence. It's been a massive shock," she added.
In the UAE, a life sentence usually means 25 years of imprisonment for a non-Emirati citizen following by deportation. While the family hasn't disclosed the crime Mia has committed, there are a number of offences for which life sentences are typically given.
Some of these are: drug trafficking and possession, human trafficking, murder or attempted murder, and terrorism-related activities.
Before the GoFundMe was closed, the mum said on the page: "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."
Brits are warned by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the dangers around drug-related offences in particular, stating that UAE authorities 'count the presence of drugs in the blood stream as possession'.
It further details: "The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe. Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty."
Joshua Nair