Mia O’Brien was ‘jailed for life’ in Dubai – but her mum said she had ‘never done a bad thing in her life’
A woman who was jailed in Dubai over drugs offences is back in the UK ‘where she belongs’ and spent Christmas with her mum. Law student Mia O’Brien, who was sentenced to at least 25 years in a Dubai prison in September, is reportedly back home safely in Merseyside after the ordeal.
The 24-year-old’s mum Danielle McKenna, 46, appeared to confirm the news on her social media, the ECHO reports. The mum posted a video with pictures of her daughter in the early hours of Christmas Day with the headline “home where she belongs”.
In a reply to one user, the mum said: “It’s like a Christmas miracle, best Christmas ever.” In an online fundraiser, which has since been deleted, Ms McKenna 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 with the wrong so-called friends and made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price.”
Mia, from Huyton in Merseyside was one of three arrested when police stormed a Dubai flat. Her friend tested negative for cocaine and was released without charge. But Mia and her friend’s boyfriend tested positive for the drug. Police were also said to have reportedly found cocaine worth £2,500 at the flat.
According to campaign group Detained in Dubai, Mia was handed a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of drug possession in a one day trial held entirely in Arabic. She denied the charge, but was found guilty in proceedings her family and legal advisers described as ‘deeply unfair’.
Mia was held in a notorious Al-Awir Central Prison. Speaking previously to the MailOnline, Danielle said her daughter was ‘devastated’ and felt like she had ‘completely destroyed her life’.
She added: “She is absolutely devastated by what has happened. Mia is being really strong but I know she is going through a living hell.
“She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared. Mia said she has to sleep on a mattress on the floor and shares the cell with six others. But she’s not been ill – she has just come out in a few rashes.”
The ECHO previously reported that Ms O’Brien was appealing against her sentence. Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, previously said: “Dubai police have a history of rushing to secure convictions without the rigorous evidentiary standards we expect in the UK.
“We’ve seen fabricated confessions, reliance on circumstantial evidence, and a disregard for due process. I would urge the public to withhold judgement. Mia’s case could be the latest in a long line of miscarriages of justice.”
Well-wishers left messages of support in response to Ms McKenna’s Facebook post. One wrote: “Amazing. I hope you have a great Christmas together [with] all the family.” A second person said: “Fabulous news, hope you’ve all had a lovely day together and best wishes to you 2026.”
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has previously confirmed it has been supporting Ms O’Brien’s family during the months-long ordeal. According to the FCDO, British visitors are explicitly warned not to flout the country’s laws, singling out drug offences in particular.
The FCDO travel advice says: “There is zero tolerance for drugs-related offences. The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe.
“Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty. Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs, including cannabis, can lead to a minimum 3-month prison term or a fine of between 20,000 UAE dirham (£4,000) and 100,000 UAE dirham (£20,000). The Emirati authorities count the presence of drugs in the blood stream as possession.”
