Grandad facing Dubai jail for asking neighbours to be quiet is flying home to UK

06 February 2024 , 22:56

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After weeks of being detained, the case was expedited and Ian was given a £650 fine (Image: Daily Record)

A man detained in Dubai after a row with neighbours is "relieved" to be flying home to Scotland.

Grandad Ian MacKeller was facing prison after being accused of trespassing while on a trip to the Middle East with his wife Carol to visit their daughter and 18-month granddaughter at Christmas. From Aberdeenshire, the 75-year-old was arrested by police after asking neighbours to "keep the noise down" on Hogmanay.

After weeks of being detained, the case was expedited and he was given a £650 fine. Now, Ian plans to board a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Glasgow tomorrow.

The pensioner is said to be delighted that the nightmare is finally over. He also escaped a further ban on returning to the UAE to visit his daughter. A statement from Detained in Dubai reads: "Expedited proceedings would be a welcome change for Dubai’s legal system. However, they are extremely rare and Ian is fortunate that his case was escalated within the government.

“For tourists, the process in itself is a significant punishment, resulting in hefty financial penalties through expensive hotels, lawyers and resulting loss of employment. If Dubai can recognise the frivolity of accusations against foreigners and expedite the judicial process, this would go a long way to preventing unfair detentions and travel bans.

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"Dubai police also need to review the automatic prosecution process. Just because a complaint is made, doesn’t mean it should automatically go to court. We are pleased Ian is able to return home to Scotland."

Carol MacKellar will be reunited with her husband Ian (Daily Record)

The Daily Record reported that Ian, who was looking after his 18-month-old granddaughter, had gone next door to ask neighbours to turn their music down. He claimed no one answered the door but he could see guests throwing a party in the garden and enquired if they could move the noise inside.

It is claimed the neighbours were incensed at the request and his granddaughter had a drink poured over her. A few days later police appeared at his daughter's door to arrest him. In 2017, Stirling man Jamie Harron was jailed in Dubai for three months after "accidentally brushing past" a businessman in a bar.

The then 27-year-old was sentenced for 'public indecency and stripped of his passport before international outcry saw him cleared by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At the time he told reporters: ‘The whole thing was a nightmare from start to finish. This has ruined four months of my life – I lost all my savings, £60,000, and my job, and my reputation has been damaged."

Ruth Suter