Aimee Walker
A British man who was jailed for 25 years in Dubai for possessing vape liquid with CBD oil has had his sentence reduced to 10 years.
Billy Hood’s appeal was heard in Abu Dhabi, where authorities reduced it because he had ‘unintentionally possessed’ the drug and had ‘no intent to supply,’ according to the Daily Mail.
The decision comes just days after the UAE announced changes to legislation which means first offenders caught with drugs will be deported rather than jailed.
Watch Billy Hood’s mother plead for help on Good Morning Britain below…
The laws come into force in 2022, but it’s not thought they will be applied retroactively. This means that those already serving sentences will have to finish them.
Detained in Dubai, an organisation that helps foreigners arrested in the city, said the court ‘sentenced him [Hood] to ten years in prison, despite new legislation eliminating prison sentences for foreigners found in possession and allowing for deportation instead’.
CEO Radha Stirling accused police of being ‘extremely negligent’ in their arrest.
She said: “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.
“They turned what would have been a small possession case at worst into a federal case that has seen him locked up for almost a year.
British Man, 24, ‘Tortured’ In Dubai Prison After Being Jailed For 25 Years Over CBD Oil
“He was given both a carrot and a stick, so some prosecutor could get his dues. It’s all too familiar a story.”
Hood reportedly tested negative for the drug and alleges he was ‘forced’ into signing a confession.
Following the judgement, Mr Hood’s mother, Breda Guckion, who previously pleaded for help on Good Morning Britain 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 words cannot express how broken I am feeling.”
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