As Mia O’Brien is handed a life sentence in Dubai, the Mirror takes a look at everything we know so far about the British student, including her heartbroken mum’s statement
A student from Merseyside has been left navigating a ‘living hell’ after being handed a life sentence in Dubai. Mia O’Brien, 23, of Huyton, Merseyside, was allegedly caught with 50 grams of the Class A drugs in the Middle East in October, her mum has said.
The Liverpool University student was convicted by a judge after a day-long hearing on July 25, with her devastated mother claiming the “trial was all in Arabic”. On top of her shock incarceration, Mia has also been handed a huge £100,000 fine.
Mia, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is now languishing at Dubai’s infamous Central Prison. All the while, worried loved ones have continued to protest her innocence, with her mum describing her case as a “miscarriage of justice”.
READ MORE: Brit student Mia O’Brien jailed for life in Dubai was caught with cocaine, says mum
Dreams destroyed
Mia, from Huyton, Merseyside, had been studying law at Liverpool, and had held big ambitions of one day becoming a lawyer or solicitor. But now, with a lengthy stretch of prison time before her, Mia reportedly feels that these dreams have been “destroyed”.
Speaking with the Mail Online, Mia’s mum Danielle McKenna, claimed: “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 is not a drug taker and has never previously been in trouble. The mother of five also doesn’t believe her daughter intended to either sell the drugs or take them back with her.
‘Living hell’
Mia is currently being held behind the walls of Dubai’s Central Prison, a facility notorious for overcrowding, violent attacks, and squalid conditions. There have previously been reports of rape, and of prisoners being tortured into confessions.
Inmates also must contend with a complete lack of privacy, with cells intended to hold three or four packed with as many as twenty. Some may even find themselves sharing beds with several other prisoners.
Danielle revealed: “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 has not paid the steep fine, and that she is scheduled to have an appeal heard within the coming weeks.
Danielle shared: “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 launched by Danielle, with the aim of raising money for Mia’s legal fees, has been taken down. A GoFundMe spokesperson has since stated that the page had breached community rules.
Discussing her intention to fight for Mia’s freedom, Danielle wrote: “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 spokesperson for GoFundMe said: “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 thanked people for donating to the fundraiser, stating: “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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READ MORE: Dubai jailed Brit’s mum in damning three word take over daughter’s imprisonment