Billy Hood
| Billy Hood | |
|---|---|
| Born | London, United Kingdom |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 📆 Years active | 2015-2021 |
| Known for | Imprisoned in the UAE for drug trafficking with intent to supply |
Billy Hood is a British footballer and coach who is best known for playing at Kensington & Ealing Borough F.C.. In January 2021, Hood, who was in the United Arab Emirates at the time for work purposes, was pulled over by the police who discovered small bottles of the oil derived from cannabis and a vape pen in his car. He was convicted of drug trafficking with intent to supply by a court and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The case received national recognition and a petition to the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson received more than 170,000 signees, and over £20,000 were raised by the British public for legal proceedings. As a result, the 25-year sentence has since been reduced to 10 years with Hood expected to be released in 2031. However, Hood's family are continually appealing to get the sentence reduced further, working closely with Radha Stirling's Detained in Dubai.
Biography
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Playing position | Inside right | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Kensington & Ealing Borough F.C. | 13 | (9) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
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Billy Hood After school, Hood decided to progress a career in professional football, having tryouts for many professional football clubs between the years 2013-2015. Hood successfully became a player at the semi-professional football club Kensington & Ealing Borough F.C. in 2016, where he played for three years.[citation needed] Alongside his football career, Hood was also a football coach for school kids. He was approached by a head of recruitment for a football club based in Dubai to work there as a football coach. Hood made the decision to take this role and moved to Dubai in 2019 where he resided until he was apprehended by the authorities.[1]
Arrest and imprisonment
| Billy Hood | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Criminal status | Sentenced |
On 31 January 2021, Hood was approached by police while getting his belongings out of his vehicle. Hood assumed they had mistaken him for someone else and agreed to do a drugs test, which came back negative and gave them permission to search his car and apartment. The officers discovered small bottles of oil derived from cannabis, which is illegal in the UAE, and a vape pen in his car. Hood told officers that these belonged to a friend of his from England who had been visiting, however, he was apprehended and taken to Dubai's CID headquarters.[citation needed]
He was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison in October 2021.[2] According to The National newspaper, a life sentence in the UAE consists of a maximum of 25 years in jail, followed by deportation for non-Emiratis.[3] After his sentencing, Hood claimed that he was forced to sign a false confession in Arabic (a language he cannot speak) and was refused a translator.[1][4] An official statement from the UAE denied any unfair treatment and that Billy Hood had the right to appeal.[5] Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, is working with Hood's family on the case.[1] She called on Sheikh Mohammed, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE, as well as the government of Dubai, to release Hood.[1]
On 10 November 2021, it was reported that Hood went missing.[6] The family had lost contact with Hood and were unable to reach him for 10 days. It was then reported that he was placed in solitary confinement.[7][8] In February 2022, Prince William visited UAE in which Billy's family appealed to him to negotiate with UAE officials regarding Billy's release. During this time, it was reported that Billy was beaten by prison guards.[9]
Reactions
Hood's local MP, Felicity Buchan, also supported the release of Billy Hood. She confirmed the FCDO team will attend cases that have gained significant media attention but otherwise will provide a list of local lawyers in regards to the case.[citation needed] Despite this, Hood's family have argued that UK government has done "nothing" to help free him in which the Foreign Office responded to say that Hood is receiving consular support.[10]
Appeals and Protest
Hood's family started a GoFundMe page which raised £20,000.[citation needed] The fundraiser was used for legal fees regarding the case.[4] Mohammad Al Najjar has taken on the case.[citation needed] Hood's parents and friend also appeared on Good Morning Britain on 14 October to plea for support in bringing Billy Hood home. The hashtag #FreeBillyHood was also trending on Twitter.[11] A Change.org petition was also started to appeal to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. As of September 1, 2022, the petition has received over 170,000 signees.
Radha Stirling and Breda Guckion also hosted an appeal for Billy Hood on BBC Radio 5 Live on 30 November, 2021.[12] As a result, Hood had his sentence reduced from 25 years down to 10 years.[13] The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was "giving consular support to a British man who has been imprisoned in the UAE". the reduction in sentencing was a result from the appeal led by Hood's family and friends.[14] New legislation in the UAE eliminates prison sentences for foreigners found in possession and allows them to be deported. Hood's team is aiming for this result.[15]
Protests
On 16 October 2021, protestors gathered in Parliament Square to get the government to appeal for his 25-year prison sentence to be dropped.[16] Radha Stirling had also set up a petition to the UK government to increase travel warnings to the UAE based on ongoing and repeated unfair detentions.[citation needed]
See also
- Detained in Dubai
- Human rights in the United Arab Emirates
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "British football coach jailed for 25 years in Dubai over cannabis oil found in car". The Independent. October 13, 2021.
- ↑ British football coach sentenced to 25 years’ jail in Dubai over CBD vape liquid The Guardian
- ↑ "UK student Matthew Hedges jailed for life in UAE for 'spying'". news.com.au. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Billy Hood: Man sentenced to 25 years in Dubai over cannabis oil 'hoping and praying' for release". Sky News.
- ↑ "UAE says British man arrested for possession of synthetic cannabis oil has right of appeal". The National. October 16, 2021.
- ↑ King, Lorraine; James, John (November 10, 2021). "Billy Hood's family 'fear worst' after losing contact with him in UAE jail". MyLondon.
- ↑ "Family Of British Footballer Jailed For CBD In Dubai Say He Is Uncontactable". www.ladbible.com. LADbible Group.
- ↑ James, John (November 24, 2021). "Londoner locked in 'cockroach-infested Abu Dhabi hell hole' for 25th birthday". MyLondon.
- ↑ Dubai, Detained in (February 10, 2022). "Billy Hood BEATEN by UAE prison guards during Prince William "official" visit". Detained in Dubai.
- ↑ "Billy Hood's family say UK government has not helped them". BBC. April 19, 2022 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Good Morning Britain - Mother Whose Son Has Been Jailed in Dubai for 25 Years Makes Emotional Plea For Help" – via www.itv.com.
- ↑ "BBC 5 Live - Billy Hood Appeal with Radha Stirling and Breda Guckion - Detained in Dubai over CBD by Gulf in Justice". Anchor FM.
- ↑ "Billy Hood: Football coach's Dubai jail term cut to 10 years". December 1, 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Brit jailed in Dubai over CBD vape oil has sentence cut from 25 years to 10". ITV News. December 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Billy Hood: Briton jailed in Dubai for possessing CBD vape oil has term cut from 25 years to 10 - despite new laws allowing for deportation". Sky News.
- ↑ "Family and friends of Brit charged with possessing CBD vape oil in Dubai protest against 25-year prison sentence". uk.sports.yahoo.com – via Yahoo!.
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