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A young British man, Jamie Harron, has been sentenced to three months in prison for touching a man’s hip in a Dubai bar, Evening Standard quotes campaigners as saying.
The 27-year-old electrician claimed he had been holding a drink as he moved through a crowded bar, and held a hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on himself or others.
Reports said the businessman who made the complaint has since dropped the allegation, but local prosecutors continued with the case.
Since his arrest on July 15, Harron is said to have since lost his job and has spent tens of thousands of pounds in expenses and legal fees.
Mr Harron has already been given a one month prison sentence after being convicted for public drunkenness and awaits further court proceedings.
In court on Sunday, he was sentenced to three months in prison but lawyers plan to appeal, campaign group Detained in Dubai (DiD) said.
Over the last two month’s Mr Harron’s family have been mounting a desperate effort to get him home.
Dad Graham said: “Patricia and I have not been able to relax for a moment. We never dreamed we would have to face something like this. I wanted him to tell his story to the press but he really did not think it would be necessary.
“We can’t believe that this nightmare has gone on for three months. Jamie is a good boy. He has never been a problem and never in trouble.
“We are a very close family and it is killing us to think of him spending even three nights in jail, let alone three years.”
He added: “The UK embassy has not done anything to help and seem to think it is absolutely fine for British nationals to be abused in this way.
“People have to stop visiting that country. Since Jamie was arrested, I have researched and found that this is more common than any of us think.”
Mr Harron, from Stirling, had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in Dubai when the incident happened.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: “We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance.”