British grandfather, 75, faces jail in Dubai for asking neighbors to turn down the noise at their NYE party while he babysits his granddaughter at her UAE home

A grandfather faces jail in Dubai after being charged with trespassing – for asking partying neighbors to lower their noses while he babysat his granddaughter.

Ian MacKeller, 75, traveled to the UAE over the holidays to visit his daughter who had recently moved to the country and to help babysit her young child.

His daughter’s neighbors were hosting a New Year’s Eve party and because Mr MacKeller’s daughter was expected to work in the early morning hours, they said they asked the host to be mindful of noise.

At 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, the family messaged the neighbor asking them to turn down the music, but it started getting louder, they claim.

Mr MacKeller became involved in an altercation and claims guests pushed him. But now he is facing criminal consequences after the host filed a complaint against him for trespassing.

Mr MacKeller from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, visited the neighbor in the early hours of January 1 to ask them to calm down. He took his little granddaughter with him so that his daughter could sleep.

He knocked, but after no one answered the door, Mr. MacKeller saw an open side path leading to the garden, where guests were mingling.

The grandfather says he asked if they could move the party inside, but says guests started pushing him and yelling at him, causing his granddaughter’s bottle to fall to the floor.

Some guests tried to intervene and advised Mr MacKeller to leave, but as he walked towards the street he said the host came towards him, shouting loudly and even throwing her drink on him and the baby.

Mr MacKeller described her actions as ‘unacceptable’ and said he was keen to report the incident to the police, but his daughter refused, fearing it would further increase tension with her neighbours.

Now the party host has filed a police complaint against Mr MacKeller for trespassing, which has prevented him from leaving the country – and he could face several years in prison.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, is working with Andrew Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, to free Mr MacKeller.

“It is standard practice in Dubai to preventively file a report with the police if there is a risk that a report will be filed,” Radha said.

‘The Public Prosecution Service tends to side with the person who files a report first, so if someone is at risk of reporting the crime themselves, they will quickly report the actual victim.

“This is how people familiar with the justice system in Dubai manipulate the system to their advantage.”

“It is common for foreigners in this situation to offer their accuser financial compensation to drop the case,” Radha added.

“The authorities in Dubai must crack down on this blatant abuse of the criminal justice system. This practice is systemic and will require significant legislative changes to completely eradicate it.

‘It is imperative that parliamentary representatives support their constituents where they face injustice. We are seeing more and more MPs demanding action from the FCDO and Foreign Office colleagues in countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”

Mr MacKeller cannot leave the country because the neighbor has filed a complaint against him

Mr MacKeller was due to return to Scotland on January 10 but will now remain in the UAE indefinitely, separated from his family and unable to receive medical treatment.

‘This is a very sad situation. “No one would ever imagine that a polite request to turn down the music would result in a travel ban and criminal charges,” Stirling said.

‘Time and again we are reminded that a simple trip to Dubai can indeed be a one-way ticket.

“If the case is not dismissed, Ian will likely end up in prisons notorious for human rights abuses, and he simply does not deserve that.”