Dubai, Sep 07, 2025 : A 23-year-old British student has been handed a life sentence in Dubai after being caught with drugs, a punishment her devastated family describes as the result of a “very stupid mistake.”

Mia O’Brien, a law student from Liverpool, is currently lodged in Dubai’s central prison after a court delivered the harsh verdict. Her mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, expressed heartbreak over the outcome, revealing that she has not seen her daughter since October last year.

“This is a young girl who went to university to study law and unfortunately got mixed up with the wrong so-called friends. She made a very stupid mistake and is now paying the price,” McKenna said.

According to reports in The Mirror, O’Brien was caught in October with 50 grams of a Class A drug, valued at around £2,500 (₹3 lakh approximately). The arrest and subsequent charges have landed her among those facing the United Arab Emirates’ notoriously strict penalties for drug possession and trafficking.

While O’Brien’s family did not initially disclose the details of her offense, describing it only as a poor choice, British media later confirmed the drug possession charges. In the UAE, life sentences can span between 15 and 25 years, and drug-related crimes are treated with particular severity.

The case has gained attention online, especially after a GoFundMe page set up by O’Brien’s family was taken down. The fundraiser sought support for her legal case but violated the platform’s policies, which prohibit raising money for the legal defense of certain alleged crimes.

“A life sentence in Dubai is devastating. Mia is only 23 years old and has never done a bad thing in her life before this,” McKenna had written on the now-deleted page.

Dubai and the wider UAE are known for their uncompromising stance on narcotics. Even small amounts of illegal substances can lead to years behind bars. The country also imposes severe punishments for drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism-related crimes, and violent offenses.

Mia O’Brien’s sentencing has left her family and friends in shock, highlighting once again the severe consequences foreigners can face under the UAE’s legal system. While her mother continues to appeal for compassion, for now, O’Brien faces the prospect of spending much of her adult life behind bars.