28 January 2024 , 11:23
1126
0
A British pensioner who faces jail time in Dubai after asking partygoers to keep the noise down won’t survive behind bars, his wife has said.
Ian Mackellar, 74, had travelled from Aberdeenshire to Dubai to help his daughter and granddaughter settle into their new lives in the United Arab Emirates. However, after an altercation with neighbours, the retired economics professor could now face a year in prison. Carol, his wife of 49-years who’s recovering from colon cancer, said she fears her husband won’t survive the year abroad.
The 75-year-old was babysitting his granddaughter on New Year's Eve as his daughter had to get up to work at 5.30am. Next door, neighbours were having a party and he went around to ask if they could keep the noise down, around 1am. His daughter had planned to go and ask them to be mindful of noise levels, but Ian had said he’d go instead - taking his 18-month-old granddaughter as she was awake.
However, the request reportedly went down badly and reportedly left neighbours furious to the point where it was said they dumped a drink over his granddaughter. Ian wanted to report the incident to police, but his daughter was against the idea as they were new to the area and she didn’t want to cause any problems going forward.
However, the neighbours filed a report to police first, instead accusing Ian of trespassing as he had walked into their garden to speak to them, after getting no response at the door and noticing an open path.
Abandoned prison which caged dangerous cartel killers found by urban explorer
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: "It is standard practice in Dubai to pre-emptively file a police report when at risk of being reported. The prosecution tends to side with whomever makes the first police report, so if someone is at risk of being reported themselves, they will quickly file against the actual victim.
"This is how people familiar with Dubai justice manipulate the system to their advantage." Detained in Dubai says "the neighbour predictably filed a police complaint against Ian for 'trespass', resulting in a travel ban and potentially several years in prison."
Speaking to The Times, Ms Mackellar warned she feared never seeing her husband again. She said: “If Ian goes to prison, I just know he could not survive that. I am dreading never seeing him again. We just need somebody to help us.”
She added that her husband has a stent in his heart and his travel insurance has already run out - as the couple have already spent £8,000 on legal fees. Alongside that Ms Mackellar is terrified of Ian sinking into a deep depression. Radha Stirling, their lawyer, said: “Ian could be waiting four to six months just for a court date.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British man in Dubai.”