Brit student, 23, jailed for LIFE after making 'a very stupid mistake' in Dubai

By Lauran O'Toole, Senior Reporter

Law student Mia O'Brien with her mum Danielle McKenna (Image: GoFundMe)

A young woman has been  jailed for life in Dubai, after the Brit "made a very stupid mistake". Law student Mia O'Brien is currently in Dubai's central prison as her mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, desperately tries to raise funds for travel and legal fees to help her daughter out of the desperate situation.

The heartbroken mum said that she hasn't seen her daughter since late last year. In a now closed GoFundMe post, Danielle wrote: "Mia has been given a life sentence over in Dubai, and she is now in central prison. As you can all probably imagine, as her mother I am absolutely devastated. I haven't seen my daughter since last October.

"Mia is only 23 years old and has never done a bad thing in her life. This is a young girl, who went to university to do law, and unfortunately got mixed up in the wrong so-called friends and made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price.

"So all I ask is if you can donate anything you can spare, even if it's a £1, it could help up massively and I would be forever grateful. Thank you so much."

Later, she added: "I just want to thank everyone for their donations so far, this money will be used to send to my daughter Mia, and also for any legal fees that may arise, and maybe even to go towards getting family over to Dubai to see her, as none of us have seen Mia since last October, so thank you all so much."

It is understood GoFundMe removed the page because it violates its ban on the raising of funds for the legal defence of certain alleged crimes.

The young Brit has been jailed for life in Dubai (Image: Getty)

Speaking to the MailOnline, she added: "She's going through it at the minute. She's just been transferred to another prison after getting a life sentence. It's been a massive shock."

While the details of Mia's crime have not been shared, the Emirate countries can hand out life sentences - which is 15 years in jail - for crimes like drug trafficking, serious violence, and terrorism.

Life sentences in the Emirates can be given in cases of drug trafficking, depending on the circumstances and the amount of drugs.

According to the UK foreign office, British visitors are explicitly warned not to flout the country's laws, singling out drug offences in particular.

On its travel advice for Dubai, the FCDO says: "There is zero tolerance for drugs-related offences. The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe."