A British football coach has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Dubai after four bottles of vape liquid containing cannabis oil were found in his car. Billy Hood, 24, from Notting Hill, west London, was arrested on 31 January shortly after moving to the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Hood, who played semi-professional football for Kensington and Ealing Borough FC, claims he was forced to sign a confession written in Arabic despite not speaking the language. He told campaign group Detained in Dubai that police unexpectedly demanded to search his home and car, and he was kept in an isolation cell for 14 days without hygiene products.
Mr Hood maintains the vape oil was left by a friend visiting from England two weeks earlier. However, he was convicted this month of drug trafficking with intent to supply. CBD oil is legal in the UK, but the UAE has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs, with trafficking sentences potentially including the death penalty.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said forced confessions are common in Dubai. Mr Hood's family is appealing to the UK and UAE governments to intervene. His mother, Breda, described the situation as 'the worst stress I've ever been through'. The Foreign Office confirmed it is providing consular support.
