The mother of Mia O'Brien, who has reportedly been handed a life sentence in Dubai for carrying 50g of cocaine, has hit back at the social media 'haters'.
Hailing from Liverpool, the 23-year-old made the ultimate mistake on United Arab Emirates (UAE) soil while visiting friends and may well spend the next 25 years in a cell abroad.
Danielle McKenna recently launched a now-removed GoFundMe page connected to her daughter's case, setting a £5,000 target to cover Mia's legal fees and the family's travel costs.
As you'd expect, not everybody has displayed compassion across social media, which has now gotten a rise out of Danielle.
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Promoting another fundraiser on Facebook, which can be found at GiveSendGo, she captioned the link with a scathing message.
"This is my little girl, my first born and only daughter, I would and will fight for my kids till the day I die," it began.
"So to all you haters, let's hope karma doesn't come knocking on your door, your nasty comments do not hurt or affect my life, so you won't get a reaction or response from me, and if that's what [you're] after, maybe get in touch with the Samaritans helpline if [you're] that sad and lonely. Much love to you all [kiss emoji]."
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Previously speaking to The Daily Mail, Danielle suggested Mia had just made a 'stupid mistake' and it wasn't reflective of the person she is.
"I speak to her, but she can't say too much on the phone. She's just made a stupid mistake after going over to see a friend and her boyfriend in Dubai," she commented.
"She was crying on the phone and saying 'Oh mum - please forgive me'. I definitely don't think she was going to sell the drugs or bring them back.
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"It's a lot of drugs but there are others involved and she has just been caught up in it."
On the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, there's a warning about Dubai's strict rules on drugs.
"There is zero tolerance for drug-related offences," it reads. "The penalties for trafficking, smuggling, using and possessing illegal drugs (including residual amounts) are severe.
"Sentences for drug trafficking can include the death penalty. Possession of even the smallest amount of illegal drugs, including cannabis, can lead to a minimum 3-month prison term or a fine of between 20,000 UAE dirham [£4,000] and 100,000 UAE dirham [£20,000]. The Emirati authorities count the presence of drugs in the bloodstream as possession.
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"Possessing, concealing or making transactions with money from drug-related offences is illegal. You could get a prison sentence and a fine."
In a prior statement, Danielle claimed she hadn't seen her daughter since October 2024.
Topics: Social Media, Crime, Parenting, Drugs
Dan Seddon