British ‘influencer’, 23, is charged with murdering British man in Dubai and faces being executed by firing squad
A British TikTok influencer has been accused of murdering a British friend she contacted via Facebook in Dubai and faces the death penalty by firing squad, according to a human rights group.
Brooke George, 23, a former John Lewis store assistant from Gravesend, is accused of murdering a 26-year-old man she met online with a kitchen knife.
According to pressure group Detainees in Dubai, Ms George acted in self-defence by stabbing him to death after being beaten repeatedly in the face.
Radha Stirling, the organisation’s chief executive, said: ‘He reached for the knife after being attacked and punched in the face. Authorities must treat her as a victim of domestic violence during the investigation.’
The former shop worker is now defending a murder charge in the UAE following an altercation with a British man he met online.
Ms Stirling said George was being held in the notorious Bur Dubai prison and had to be released on bail by emirate authorities.
‘The former John Lewis employee is defending a murder charge in the UAE following an altercation with a British man he met on Facebook. “His world was shattered and his family was reduced to tears,” he added.
Apparently, Brooke had fallen in love with the man after he wooed her on her first trip to Dubai, and he also organized a photoshoot for her in the city.
However, those detained in Dubai said that on his second trip, he took her passport, beat her in the car and killed her by “reaching for the kitchen knife in her hand”.
He tried to flee back to England but was arrested at Dubai International Airport and thrown into prison, where he was allegedly forced to strip naked by a male guard.
Brooke George, 23, a former John Lewis store assistant from Gravesend, is accused of murdering a 26-year-old British friend she met online with a kitchen knife
British TikTok influencer Brooke George has been jailed in Dubai, according to a human rights group
Brooke claims she was swept off her feet by the man on her first trip to the emirate, but on her second trip she says the man took her passport and became controlling and violent
Brooke met the 26-year-old man on Facebook and traveled to Dubai after developing an online relationship.
According to Ms George, her first visit lasted about a week and was positive, describing it as ‘the time of my life’.
But on her second visit, Brooke claims to have seen her behavior change dramatically.
She claimed the man was becoming increasingly controlling and abusive and that she discovered he had only booked her a one-way ticket, sending her into a panic and wanting to return home.
According to Brooke, he got drunk after an evening at Caffreys Bar in Jumeirah Village and attacked her in the car before continuing the attack after she returned to the flat.
According to her family, Brooke contacted them in a panic after being punched multiple times.
Desperate to leave the UAE, he booked a flight home with the help of friends and returned to his apartment only to collect his passport.
The family said he begged for his passport to be returned and was punched hard in the face and assaulted.
Brooke said she feared for her life and acted in self-defense by reaching for a kitchen knife.
He was arrested in the early hours of June 22 and charged with murder after police arrested him as he attempted to flee the UAE but was stopped at Dubai airport.
He is currently being held at the infamous Bur Dubai Police Station.
Brooke apparently had a crush on the man after he wooed her on her first trip to Dubai; The man had also organized a photo shoot for her in the city, including a beach shoot.
Brooke claims the man she stabbed was initially very kind and loving but changed when he visited her a second time
Brooke’s family claim she was ‘horrified’ and acted in self-defence
Her family alleges that she was forced to strip naked in front of male police officers, with no female police officers present. She described the experience as extremely humiliating and distressing, and broke down in tears as she told her family.
Detained in Dubai, he claims he was given little explanation of the proceedings due to the language barrier.
They say he was denied access to the embassy and forced to testify in the absence of his lawyer.
Her mother, Thereza George, said in a statement published by Detainees in Dubai: ‘The dynamic between them clearly changed after Brooke returned to Dubai for the second time.
‘He didn’t look like himself the day before the incident. He was quieter and not his usual happy, cheerful self, but he didn’t tell me why. That evening they went to a bar in Dubai. When I spoke to Brooke immediately after the incident, she was absolutely horrified. I’ve never seen my daughter this scared in my life. He was crying uncontrollably. I could see that one of his eyes was badly swollen and starting to close.
‘As Brooke’s mother, I am deeply concerned for her health. The girl I talked to that night was very scared. I firmly believe that he was desperately trying to get home and away from what was happening to him.’
