'Cockroaches, Torture, No Toilets': Briton Exposes Dubai Prison Where Mia O'Brien Will Spend the Rest of Her Life

When 23-year-old law student Mia O'Brien was sentenced to life in prison in Dubai this summer, her family feared the worst. Those fears are not unfounded.

Another Briton, David Haigh, once spent nearly two years inside the same Al-Awir jail, and his harrowing descriptions of cockroaches, torture, and toilets that were little more than holes in the ground paint a terrifying picture of what awaits O'Brien in the years ahead.

According to local reports, she was allegedly found with 50 grammes of cocaine in her flat while visiting the UAE in October 2024. Although she pleaded not guilty, a Dubai judge convicted her in July, handing down one of the severest penalties under the UAE's strict anti-drug laws.

In Dubai, a life sentence typically translates to 15 to 25 years behind bars.

'Cockroaches and Torture': A Briton's Account of Al-Awir

What makes O'Brien's case more alarming is the testimony of other Britons who have served time in Dubai's Al-Awir prison. Among them is David Haigh, the former managing director of Leeds United Football Club, who spent 22 months in UAE jails after being accused of fraud – charges he has always denied.

Speaking to BBC Sounds and Newsnight, Haigh recalled the moment he first entered the prison. 'It was just so hot, there was no natural light, dirty, smelly... I was told I'd be there until tomorrow. Tomorrow turned out to be 22 months later.'

Haigh alleged he was tortured, raped, and beaten during his detention. He described seeing fellow prisoners subjected to brutal violence.

'Three or four policemen were torturing him, standing on his throat, tasering him, using a cattle prod against him. It was the most shocking thing of my life, and I will never forget it,' he said.

Conditions, he said, were dire:

Overcrowding: 'Ten people crammed into a cell designed for four,' Haigh revealed.

Sanitation: 'There were meant to be two toilets for 32 people, often with 100 sharing. One wasn't even working. The word toilet is inadequate — it was a hole in the ground.'

Health risks: Tuberculosis and skin infections were rampant, with 'seas of unwashed, unfed people' all around.

Haigh said he still bears physical injuries from his detention after guards 'smashed up' his knee.

O'Brien's Family Fears for Her Safety

For Mia O'Brien's mother, Danielle McKenna, the parallels are haunting. She said her daughter has already seen fights break out inside Al-Awir and has developed rashes from unsanitary conditions. 'The prison conditions are horrendous. There are no staff, really and she has to bang on a big door if she needs anything,' she said.

The UAE is known for its zero-tolerance drug policy. Even trace amounts of banned substances can lead to lengthy prison terms. According to the UK government's travel advice, possession of even residual quantities can result in mandatory four-year sentences.

In O'Brien's case, the alleged 50 grammes of cocaine sealed her fate. The Foreign Office has said it is providing consular assistance to the family, but options are limited.

McKenna has launched fundraising efforts to cover legal fees and travel costs, though an initial GoFundMe page was taken down for breaching platform policies. She now runs a Facebook page to raise support. 'She just wants to come home. I want her home too — she's my only daughter. She misses her two little brothers so much. She said the prison can be scary, but she's just trying to keep her head down.'

Haigh, who had faced the horror of Dubai prison life, summed up the contradiction of life in the Emirates. 'You see the towers, marketed as a cosmopolitan 21st century city full of energy and money and you never imagine what I saw. Through a gap, you'd see gleaming skyscrapers. Then you look down and see cockroaches and piles of rubbish. That image will never leave me.'

For Mia O'Brien, that 'hellhole' may become her reality for years to come, unless a path to freedom finds its way to her.