Grandfather faces jail in Dubai 'after making noise complaint to rowdy neighbours over NYE party'
23 January 2024, 15:34
A British grandfather is facing a possible jail term in Dubai after complaining about his neighbour’s noisy New Years Eve party.
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Pensioner Ian Mackeller had travelled to the UAE to visit his daughter who had recently moved there, and to help babysit her child.
His daughter’s neighbour held a party on New Year’s Eve - and while Mr MacKeller’s daughter had to get up early for work the next morning at 5.30am, they asked them to be mindful of noise.
At 1am the family messaged the neighbour to ask them to keep the noise down - but it only got louder, claims Mr Mackeller’s family.
There was an altercation and partygoers were “pushing, shouting and filming him,” it is claimed.
Ian, 75, was asked to leave and he did.
He then claims the host of the party ran up to him and ‘threw a drink over him and his granddaughter.'
He said he would report this to the police, but his daughter urged him not to as she was new to the area.
But they were stunned when a police report was filed against them accusing Mr Mackeller of “trespass”.
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 whoever 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.
“It is commonplace for foreigners in this situation to offer financial compensation to their accuser in order to drop the case.
“Authorities in Dubai need to crack down on this blatant abuse of the criminal justice system.
“The practice is systemic and will require significant legislative change to stamp it out completely.”
Ian was scheduled to return to Scotland on the 10th of January but now remains in the UAE indefinitely.
Ms Stirling said: “Nobody would ever imagine that a polite request to turn the music down would result in a travel ban and criminal prosecution”.
