An 18-year-old British man, who was sentenced to a yr in jail in Dubai for having intercourse with a 17-year-old British lady, has urged the emirate’s ruler “to let me go dwelling”.

Marcus Fakana, from north London, had a vacation romance in September with a woman, now aged 18, additionally from London.

However the lady’s mom reported the connection to Dubai police after returning to the UK and seeing footage and messages between the pair.

Having intercourse with an individual underneath 18 years of age is illegitimate in Dubai. Each youngsters had been on vacation with their mother and father from the UK, the place the age of consent is 16.

Talking in non permanent lodging whereas on bail, Fakana, from Tottenham, instructed the marketing campaign group Detained in Dubai that he and his household are “devastated and in shock”.

“I by no means supposed to interrupt the regulation. It did not happen to me on the time and for that, I am sorry. I’m asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me.

“Let me go dwelling. Please give me my life again,” the BBC reported.

In the meantime, a Downing Road spokesperson stated: “The prime minister recognises it is an especially distressing state of affairs for Marcus and his household.”

“The Overseas Workplace is in common contact along with his household and his authorized workforce at this troublesome time.”

The federal government of Dubai beforehand stated: “Beneath UAE regulation, the lady is legally categorized as a minor, and in accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her mom – being the authorized guardian – filed the grievance.”

It added: “Dubai’s authorized system is dedicated to defending the rights of all people and guaranteeing neutral judicial proceedings.”

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Radha Stirling, Detained in Dubai’s chief government, stated in a social media submit that the sentence was an “utter shame” and “a humiliation to Britain”, including that “the UK has prioritised commerce offers over individuals’s lives”.

“The Labour authorities must be ashamed they haven’t secured the liberty of a teenage vacationer. It wasn’t a troublesome job.”