Brit grandfather faces jail in Dubai after asking partying neighbours to quiet down while he babysat

A grandfather is facing jail in Dubai after being accused of trespass - for asking partying neighbours to quiet down while he babysat. Ian MacKeller, 75, travelled to the UAE during the festive period to visit his daughter who had recently moved to the country, and to babysit her young child.

His daughter’s neighbours hosted a New Year’s Eve party and with Ian’s daughter expected to work in the early hours of the morning, they say they asked the host to be mindful of noise. At 1am on January 1, the family messaged the neighbour and requested they turn the music down – but it began to get louder, they claim.

Ian, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, visited the neighbour to ask them to quiet down, taking his infant granddaughter with him to allow his daughter to sleep. He knocked, but after nobody answered the door, Ian noticed an open side path leading to the garden, where guests were mingling. Ian says he asked if they could move the party indoors – but says guests began to push him and shout at him, knocking his granddaughter’s bottle to the ground.

Some guests attempted to intervene, advising Ian to leave, but as he made his way to the street, he says the host approached him, shouting loudly and even throwing her drink over Ian and the baby. Ian described her actions as “unacceptable,” and was eager to report the incident to the police, but his daughter refused, nervous to cause tension with her neighbours.

Now, the party host has filed a police complaint against Ian for trespass, which has prevented him from leaving the country – and he could face several years in prison. Radha Stirling, lawyer and CEO of Detained in Dubai is working to set Ian free. Stirling said: “It is standard practice in Dubai to preemptively file a police report when at risk of being reported. The prosecution tends to side with whomever makes the first police report, so if someone is at risk of being reported themselves, they will quickly file against the actual victim.

“This is how people familiar with Dubai justice manipulate the system to their advantage. It is commonplace for foreigners in this situation to offer financial compensation to their accuser in order to drop the case. Authorities in Dubai need to crack down on this blatant abuse of the criminal justice system. The practice is systemic and will require significant legislative change to stamp it out completely.

“It’s imperative that parliamentary representatives support their constituents where they face injustice. We’re seeing more and more MP’s demanding action from the FCDO and foreign ministry counterparts in countries like the UAE, Qatar and Saudi.”

Ian was scheduled to return to Scotland on January 10, but now remains indefinitely in the UAE, separated from his family and unable to receive medical treatment. Stirling said: "This is a very sad situation. Nobody would ever imagine that a polite request to turn the music down would result in a travel ban and criminal prosecution. Again and again, we are reminded that a simple trip to Dubai can indeed be a one-way ticket. If the case isn’t dropped, Ian will likely end up in prisons notorious for human rights violations, and he simply doesn’t deserve it.”