Being at the wrong place at the wrong time came close to costing a 23-year-old Emirates flight attendant her life. But after two months of detention, Derrin Crawford is out of jail…for now at least. But until we have confirmation she is back on UK soil, we should not be so quick to celebrate.
Emirates Flight Attendant Released From Prison
I wrote about Crawford’s saga last month. As told by Crawford’s attorney, Crawford was on a date with a British expat she had met a week earlier when police raided his apartment. Crawford was arrested on “suspicion of possession of illegal narcotics with intent to supply” after two marijuana joints and some pills were found. A drug test was performed and came back negative: nothing was found in her system.
This occurred on June 21st. She remained in jail in Dubai’s notorious Al Barsha prison for two months before being released over the weekend. Over the past two months, her family claims she was fed a diet of bread and water and her health had deteriorated.
It isn’t clear if she will still be charged or has been allowed to leave Dubai. Kim Johnson, her MP, tweeted this:
Delighted to hear from the family that Derrin Crawford has been released from Dubai detention. Thanks to all who supported Derrin. Looking forward to seeing her back in Liverpool
— Kim Johnson MP (@KimJohnsonMP) August 22, 2020
But that is hardly proof she is safely home in the UK (as some of the tabloids have claimed).
Oddly, we have no further updates from her family, from Emirates, from the UK Government, or from Dubai authorities. You would think that if she returned to the UK that would be known…
In Dubai, possessing recreational drugs carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and being convicted of possession of drugs with intent to distribute carries a fine of up to life imprisonment. Crawford was originally accused of intending to distribute.
Here’s the scary thing. The UAE has a bail system as well. It also could effectively trap Crawford in the UAE by taking her passport. It may be that she was released from jail and is still awaiting potential charges from the prosecutor.
At least as of early this morning, continue to mark this story as developing.
CONCLUSION
I can only imagine what it must feel like to be falsely accused of a crime and face two months of prison as a result. We don’t know the whole story, though. We have only heard Crawford’s side and not even from her directly. In any case, hopefully Crawford is now in a safer place, whether in Dubai or back in the UK. It doesn’t appear she is out of the woods yet…
> Read More: Emirates Flight Attendant Remains Jailed In Dubai
image: Derrin Crawford / Instagram
If we don’t know the whole story, how do you know she’s been falsely accused of the crime?
I don’t. (I don’t claim she is falsely accused, only that her family does).
All moslem countries frown upon drugs unless they are exporting them to non moslem countries. Any white female that seeks employment or with any of these companies that operate in ME should take note of this experience. This is why the US should restrict all immigration from moslem countries.Human rights mean nothing and human life has no value. All their Governments are corrupt and bands of 7th century barbarians.
Lots of Brits do contract work in the region. The pay can be good in a down economy but is it worth the risk?
This case is not rare. A white woman who is drugged and raped, if reporting the crime, can be arrested and sent to prison. A Woman in a moslem country has no value. A white women in a moslem country is at risk at all times and has no recourse if assaulted, arrested on trumped up charges, or even abducted to work in the sex slave industry. Many white females go missing and are never hearsd from again. Families all over Europe are missing loved ones.
White women should avoid all contact with these countries.
TWA John the same could be said of Black people traveling in the U.S. or Russia. Arabic countries dont hold a monopoly on inhumanity. Though unfortunate, This woman worked in the region and should’ve know the rules/laws and customs. She chose to take this risk in defiance of that knowledge. I pray for her safe return to her family, but she’s not being persecuted for her “whiteness.” She suffering for breaking the law. Shes no Jacob Blake, Breana Taylor, or Sandra Bland.
Ridiculous statement, Rick. Black women in the US do not have to live in fear of abduction, drugging and rape. What planet do you live on? You’ve been listening to idiot leftists like AOC compare the US to Nazi Germany for so long that you actually believe it.
Not all Muslim countries are the same. Stop painting them all with one brush stroke.
What does this comment have to do with the article above
Well Aron I have a lifetime of experience and some are more civilized but the risk is there. I would suggest you spend your next vacation in ANY of them and you will jettison your liberal attitude. They are simply non congruent with Christian/European culture. The pockets in the US are a nightmare. Open your eyes and take a taste of reality.
I’ll match my lifetime of experience against yours, and still stand by what I said, as I have actually lived in some of those countries.
Open your heart and stop being such a hate filled bigot.
Would he have posted this, if an African or Middle Eastern person would have been detained in the US/Europe on possible drug charges and hoped she/he is in a safer place. no,
A few comments here to put your article into perspective :
1) Al Barsha detention center is hardly “notorious”. It is one of the model pre-trial detention facilities and is positively luxurious relative to most similar facilities elsewhere in the world. It is a remand facility, not a prison. Drug convicts in Dubai are incarcerated at Al Awir prison which is a lot less pleasant.
2) Bail is very rarely granted to a foreign national involved in a drug case unless there is a likelihood of acquittal at trial. If she has been granted bail, the prosecutor most likely plans to drop charges or has already done so.
3) Once released on bail, there is a process to travel temporarily out of the UAE by providing a guarantor or equivalent security. The most common way to do this is for the guarantor to provide their passport in lieu as a temporary replacement for the bailed person. Alternatively a financial security may be permitted at the discretion of Dubai Public Prosecutor.
I’ve lived in the UAE and for better or worse have had to deal with both criminal and civil legal systems in multiple emirates. They may seem strange to someone more familiar with Western justice systems and are definitely far from perfect, but I can honestly say that I believe that the UAE system achieves better judicial outcomes in more cases than most Western systems do.
Valuable perspective as always. Thanks for sharing Sean M!
If there was a case against her, they would have made it in two months while she rotted in jail. Not a good look for a country that wants to present itself as progressive.
That girl derrin is a known grass. Set loads of people up in Liverpool. Sending police to houses for drug raids. Stacey Washington for one and she doesn’t even know haha. So it was karma it happened to her, just a shame she never rotted in there.
She partly the reason her own mother died amd Rebecca her supposed best mate.
She’s evil amd vindictive under all that gloss.
Defo mental issue and plays the victim card.