Football coach has UAE jail sentence reduced to 10 years
HIS LAWYERS SAY THEY STILL WANT TO SECURE HIS RELEASE
A WEST London football coach who was sentenced to 25 years in a United Arab Emirates jail has had his sentence reduced from 25 to 10 – but his lawyers have said they will not rest until they have secured his release.
Billy Hood, 25, has been locked up since January for possessing CBD vape oil and was convicted of possession, selling and drug trafficking in October.
Now, after an appeal, UAE authorities have said that they accept Billy only ‘unintentionally possessed’ the offending products and reduced his sentence to 10 years.
This is despite the UAE claiming that from January 2022 they will eliminate prison sentences for foreigners found to be in possession of THC products and opt for deportation instead.
According to Radha Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai which has been fighting Mr Hood’s appeal, the legislation has not come soon enough.
He said: “The UAE has just claimed they will eliminate prison sentences for foreigners found to be in possession of THC products, opting for deportation instead, but this law does not come into effect until January 2022 and may not apply retroactively.
“Dubai police were extremely negligent when they charged Billy Hood with trafficking and selling the mini bottles of CBD vape oil found in his car.
“They turned what would have been a small possession case at worse into a federal case that has seen him locked up for almost a year and facing a life sentence in Abu Dhabi.
“There was no evidence whatsoever of trafficking and none of selling.
“Dubai’s overzealous prosecution has ruined this young man’s life and put him and his family through hell.
“Billy was forced to confess to federal crimes with promises of his imminent release. He was given both a carrot and a stick, so some prosecutor could get his dues. It’s all too familiar a story.
“We need MPs to push a resolution for Billy’s family.
“The UAE is increasingly a strong ally to the UK and with that comes an immense possibility for cooperation on issues of human rights.”
Since Mr Hood was sentenced, efforts to free him have intensified.
A clemency request has been submitted by the Foreign Office for Mr Hood’s release and a petition established by the family has attracted almost 160,000 signatures.
However, speaking to Detained in Dubai, Mr Hood’s mum admits she does not expect to see her son before Christmas.
She said: “It’s very confusing. How can this have escalated as far as it has?
“I tried not to get my hopes up for today as I knew something like this might happen, but I now have to face the possibility that I may not see my son before Christmas and I can’t tell you how broken I am feeling.”