A British law student, imprisoned for life in a notorious Dubai prison, reportedly consumed only a small amount of cocaine at the time of her arrest, according to her former cellmate.
Mia O’Brien, 24, of Huyton, Merseyside, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars after a day-long hearing which was held entirely in Arabic on July 25.
She was apprehended by authorities in the Middle East at a party last October, found with 50 grams of the Class A substance, valued at an estimated £2,500 on the UK black market.
Despite pleading not guilty to drug charges, the Liverpool University student was convicted by a judge after a brief court proceeding. She was also fined £100,000 for her offense.
Mia spent several months in confinement at Al Barsha police detention center before being transferred to Dubai Central Prison, commonly referred to as Al Awir, which has gained the nickname ‘the Middle East’s Alcatraz’.
The 24-year-old became one of numerous notable Britons detained in the prison, joining the ranks of individuals like Karl Williams, who was imprisoned in 2012 after narcotics were discovered in his rented vehicle.
Williams later authored a memoir recounting his experiences following his release, revealing incidents of inmates being fatally stabbed as guards looked on and describing the torture he endured, including having his testicles electrocuted during an interrogation.
Mia is sharing a cell with six inmates – most of whom are Nigerian criminals – in the prison which lies in the sandy outskirts of the glamourous city which is lined with skyscrapers worth billions of dollars.
Mia O’Brien (above) was sentenced to 25 years behind bars after a day-long hearing which was held entirely in Arabic on July 25
Mia (above) was caught with 50 grams of the Class A drug by Middle Eastern police last year
The law student (above) pleaded not guilty to drug offences but was convicted by a judge after just one day in court
Mia’s arrest became public knowledge after her mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, launched a fundraiser to try and overturn the guilty verdict.
Ms McKenna told the Daily Mail last week that her daughter was in a ‘living hell’ after making a ‘stupid mistake’ having flown out to Dubai to meet her friend and her boyfriend.
And now, a British mother held alongside Mia inside the prison has told The Sun that the law student is claiming to have only taken a single line of cocaine when police arrested her.
She said Mia admitted to taking drugs and knew she’d be in ‘big trouble’ but did not expect to be treated ‘as a dealer’ by the judicial system.
The mother added: ‘If what she’s saying is true and all she has done is a line of cocaine, 25 years is a horrifically long sentence. She said she was visiting on holiday and had only been there a few days.’
Mia’s friend, known only as Emma, was also arrested in the drugs bust last October. However, tests for cocaine in her system came back negative and she was released without charge.
Emma’s boyfriend also received a life sentence.
Mia’s ex-cellmate, who was detained for fleeing the scene of a car crash before being released after paying a £3,000 fine, added: ‘Mia had fallen out with her friend as she said it was the boyfriend who had the cocaine. Her problem was that they had all been arrested and Mia had it in her system.’
Mia’s arrest became public knowledge after her mother, Danielle McKenna (right) launched a fundraiser to try and overturn the guilty verdict
Mia is now languishing in Dubai Central Prison – also known as Al Awir – which has been dubbed ‘the Middle East’s Alcatraz’
A British mother held alongside Mia (above) in jail said the law student is claiming to have only taken a single line of cocaine when police arrested her
The fundraiser launched to raise money for the 24-year-old was swiftly removed by GoFundMe for violating Term 9 of the Prohibited Conduct section of their Terms of Service.
At the time of its removal it had received just £700 of donations towards its £1,600 target.
Mia has not paid the court’s 500,000 dirham fine – equalling just over £100,000 – but is due to have an appeal in the next few weeks.
Ms McKenna, who launched the fundraiser, told the Daily Mail last week of the grim conditions her daughter is languishing in.
She said: ‘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.’
Dubai’s Central Prison is notorious for its brutal conditions, with inmates packed into overcrowded cells, tortured for confessions.
Mia admitted to taking drugs and knew she’d be in ‘big trouble’ but did not expect to be treated ‘as a dealer’ by the judicial system
Karl Williams (pictured in Dubai Central Prison) described inmates being stabbed to death as guards watched and told how he had his testicles electrocuted during an interrogation
A doctor shows a hallway at the medical centre of Al-Awir prison during the Covid pandemic
Rape is an ‘every day occurrence’ in the jail, according to a report from last year, with violent assaults carried out both by inmates and guards.
Several people share beds at a time, with as many as 20 people sharing cells designed for three or four people.
Illness is also rife in the prisons, with one British former inmate suffering from tuberculosis which he contracted while in there.
Human rights campaigners say some with chronic health conditions were denied adequate medical care.
A report in 2019 found that HIV patients in al-Awir were refused life-saving treatment.
The cells were gripped by Covid during the pandemic as well, with cramped conditions making it impossible to social distance.
