Brit tourist died from ‘neglect’ in notorious Dubai police station

Lee Brown died after he was beaten and starved by guards, an inquest was told (Picture: Courtesy Brown family/SWNS)

An inquest has ruled that a British man died of ‘neglect’ after five days in police custody in Dubai.

Lee Brown, 39, was left bruised and beaten after being given little food or water by guards.

He was put into solitary confinement and did not have access to medical care, today’s inquest hearing was told.

Mr Brown died on April 12, 2011, after he had spent five days in today in custody at the Bur Dubai police station.

The builder, painter and decorator from Dagenham, London, had been planning to visit the city for a few days before flying to Indonesia to meet with his girlfriend.

Jurors were told he arrived in the Gulf state on April 6, 2011, and allegedly assaulted a maid at the Burj Al Arab hotel where he was staying the following day.

Mr Brown was soon surrounded by 20 people who dragged him to the police station in his underwear, the hearing heard.

He may have been having a mental health episode when he arrived at the prison, his family suspect.

The 39-year-old was held in the notorious Bur Dubai police station (Picture: Google Maps)

Recording a narrative conclusion of neglect, the jury forewoman in Mr Brown’s inquest said: ‘The factors that probably contributed to his death are as follows.

‘Bruises from other detainees, guards and police officers, a lack of adequate food or water, a lack of habitable living conditions and a lack of access to necessary medical care while at the police station.

‘Factors that possibly contributed to his death are a lack of access to services and adequate clothing.

‘The neglect was by the authorities at Bur Dubai police station.’

Lee Brown died after he was beaten and starved by guards (Picture: Courtesy Brown family/SWNS)

Jurors recorded his medical cause of death as unanswered.

Nadia Persaud, Area Coroner for East London, will write a prevention of future deaths report to the Foreign Office raising ‘concerns’ about the issues raised during the inquest.

Her comments surrounded the process applied to accessing British nationals who are experiencing a mental health episode while detained abroad.

The Coroner said: ‘I would like to thank the family for their assistance over the last eight years certainly to me.

‘It has been an absolute privilege to work with Doris Brown and Lee’s siblings who remained wholly dignified in the face of a lack of a response to the number of requests we made for some of the evidence which was never recovered.’

She added: ‘I hope this inquest has answered some of the questions the family had and gone some way to finding justice for Lee.’

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