British grandfather Ian MacKellar arrested in Dubai after complaining about noisy neighbors has been RELEASED

A British grandfather who was thrown in a Dubai jail after being accused of trespassing has been released.

Ian Mackellar, 75, was arrested while visiting his daughter and young grandchild at Christmas, shortly after they moved there.

2

2

The pensioner, up close Aberdeen, Scotlandwas charged with trespassing and confronted several years later jail and a travel ban.

Ian and his wife had flown to Dubai to visit their daughter, who had asked her neighbor to be mindful of the noise at their New Year's Eve party as she had to get up early for work.

But at 1 a.m., songs were still blaring, so she texted the host asking her to turn down the volume.

The music then got louder and Ian offered to go over and ask them to turn the music down. He took his 18-month-old granddaughter with him while she was awake.

Since no one answered the door, Ian walked down the open side path to the garden to ask the guests if they could help.

But according to Detained in Dubai, several partygoers started pushing him back and shouting at him.

Ian was told to leave, which he did, but he claims the host then ran at him “screaming” and “threw a drink on the baby”.

The grandfather allegedly told her that he would report this to the police Policebut his daughter prevented him from doing so.

But the family was stunned when the neighbor himself filed a report, accusing him of 'trespassing'.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with trespassing and told he could not leave Dubai.

A few weeks later, Ian was forced to go to Al Barsha police station where he was told he would meet with prosecutors.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: “He was brought before a judge without his lawyer and essentially forced to plead guilty to the charges against him.

“Ian did so and was then held alone in a locked room, wondering if he would be taken to prison.

“He finally received the relieving news that he would be fined AED 3,000 (£350) and that the travel ban would be lifted.”

Ian has booked a flight back to Scotland.

Radha added: “We are pleased that Ian can return to Scotland.

'Ideally, the triviality and unproven criminality of the allegation would have been recognized during the initial police interview and the case dismissed, rather than going all the way to court.

'We certainly hope to see this in the future, just like in places like Scotland.

“We are grateful for the UAE's intervention in this matter.”

Radha previously warned that Ian could have ended up in a “prison notorious for human rights abuses” if the case had not been dropped.

She said: “Again and again we are reminded that a simple trip to Dubai can indeed be a one-way ticket.”