Five Brits locked up in Dubai with crimes from bounced cheques to f off message

A British man whose family claim has "vanished" after being jailed in the UAE is one of several Brits that have been locked up in Dubai this year.

Billy Hood was locked up for possessing CBD vape oil and was previously behind bars in one of Dubai's most notorious prisons after being sentenced to 25 years.

His worried family say he has not been in contact with them since he was transferred to a jail in Abu Dhabi.

The 24-year-old football coach, from Ladbroke Grove, West London, was convicted of possession, selling and drug trafficking after police found four small bottles of CBD vape oil in his car.

Billy, who has been locked up for nine months, claims a friend left the CBD oil in his car as he dropped him off at the airport.

Alfie Cain said Billy was repeatedly beaten for five days straight while officers tried to force him to confess to drug crimes.

He said Billy told him he only signed the drug trafficking confession, which was written in Arabic, because officials told him they would stop the abuse if he did.

Billy is not the only Brit to have been detained in Dubai this year. The Mirror has looked at the cases of other Brits who have been locked up in 2021.

Billy's sudden silence has left his family terrified ( Detained in Dubai / SWNS) Billy Hood

Billy's sudden silence has left his family terrified as they say he had recently claimed he had compelling evidence which proved he had been framed by police.

His heartbroken mum Brenda said her son "hasn't even been able to get in touch with his lawyer," since he was moved to another jail, The Sun reports.

Brenda spoke to Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of pressure group Detained in Dubai, about her fears.

"He’s going through the most stressful time in his entire life and can’t even communicate with his family, his lawyer or the British Embassy."

Ms Stirling said the judicial process in the UAE was "unpredictable" and warned that unexpected delays are "commonplace" ahead of Billy's appeal judgement on November 30.

She said she hopes Billy makes it home in time for Christmas as he did not deserved to be locked up for something he "did not do".

Luke Tully

British chef Luke Tully claims he was thrown in jail for 19 months in Dubai after police thought a customer booking a table was code for a drugs deal.

The chef was working at a restaurant in the city when he was sent a text message by a dealer he knew requesting a table for 10 people.

When the dealer was arrested, police seized his phone and read the message to 43-year-old Mr Tully, believing the message was code for a drug deal for 10g of cocaine.

The dad-of-four has said police officers threatened to throw him off a balcony unless he “told them where the drugs were” before he was thrown in a cell for more than a year.

Mr Tully claims to have spent £150,000 on legal fees and is now back home in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, after the case was thrown out when a judge ruled there was not enough evidence.

In a message to fellow Brits planning to visit the UAE, he said: “Don’t bother if you value your liberty.”

William Norman Meyerhoff

British great-grandfather William Norman Meyerhoff, who has dementia, was locked up in Dubai over bounced cheques he said he didn't write.

It was reported last month that the 72-year-old is set to be released after officials admitted they made ''mistakes''.

William Norman Meyerhoff with his son Matthew ( Detained in Dubai / SWNS)

Meyerhoff, originally from Grimsby, Lincs., was held by officials during a transit stop on a flight bound for Australia in May.

His family said he worked in Dubai over a decade ago but never had any issues there, but authorities told him there were 38 criminal cases against him.

The charges relate to cheques falsely made in his name by owners of a company he used to work for - which he denies knowledge off.

Woman detained for sending 'f*** you' WhatsApp message

A British woman was detained in Dubai and faced being locked up for two years for sending a 'f*** you' WhatsApp message to her flatmate earlier this year.

The 31-year-old HR manager was detained as she tried to leave Dubai on January 30 after her flatmate complained to local police about her offensive message.

The pair had reportedly been arguing about the use of their dining room table while working from home during the pandemic.

Officers arrested the woman on suspicion of breaking UAE cyber laws, however she was let off with a £600 fine, The Sun reports.

In February it was reported she was 'relieved' to be back at her parents' home in Gloucester and ready to move on from the 'traumatic' episode.

Albert Douglas

Londoner Albert Douglas, 60, was incarcerated in Dubai earlier this year over bounced cheques he didn’t write.

He was handed a £2.5 million fine after his son Wolfgang's company failed in 2019, despite committing no crime and having no role with the firm.

Albert with his son Wolfgang

Albert lost an appeal and tried to flee the prison with the help of people smugglers, but he was caught at the border and given a three-year sentence.

The long-term expat had a successful business in Dubai and was said to have loved the city until the unfortunate circumstances which landed him in prison.

In September, according to Detained in Dubai reports , Albert was admitted to a Dubai hospital for surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder sustained in prison.

Read More Fears for 'framed' Brit jailed in Dubai as he ‘vanishes’ after vowing to expose cops Read More Brit chef who spent 19 months in Dubai jail claims police misread customer's text

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