British student faces life in jail for carrying drugs in Dubai. Mother calls it 'very stupid mistake'

The UK Foreign Office explicitly warns travellers about the UAE’s harsh penalties for drug offences. A life sentence in the UAE typically ranges from 15 to 25 years. (File photo)

A 23-year-old British law student has been sentenced to life in prison in Dubai after being convicted of drug possession. Mia O'Brien, from Liverpool, was arrested in October after authorities allegedly found 50 grams of cocaine in her possession. Her family says she made a “very stupid mistake” and is now facing the full weight of the UAE’s zero-tolerance drug laws.

O'Brien pleaded not guilty to intent to supply but was convicted on July 25 following a one-day hearing conducted entirely in Arabic. She was fined £100,000 (about Rs 1 crore) and transferred to Dubai Central Prison, where she shares a cell with six other inmates. A life sentence in the UAE typically ranges from 15 to 25 years.

Mother’s plea and emotional toll
Her mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, says she hasn’t seen Mia since October and described her daughter as “absolutely devastated.” “She feels she’s destroyed her life,” McKenna told the Daily Mail. “She wanted to be a lawyer or solicitor. She’s not a drug taker. She just got mixed up with the wrong crowd and made a very stupid mistake.”

McKenna said Mia wept on the phone and begged for forgiveness. “She’s being really strong, but I know she’s going through a living hell,” she added. “The prison conditions are horrendous. She has to bang on a big door if she needs anything.”

Legal appeal and GoFundMe controversy
An appeal is expected in the coming weeks, with hopes that Mia might be repatriated to the UK after Ramadan. A GoFundMe page launched to support her legal fees was removed for violating platform rules against fundraising for certain alleged crimes.

The UK Foreign Office explicitly warns travellers about the UAE’s harsh penalties for drug offences. Life sentences are routinely handed down for trafficking, possession, and intent to supply, regardless of nationality.