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Billy pictured with his aunt . | Picture : Detained in Dubai
An anguished mother cries herself to sleep at night after her son was sentenced to 25 years in a Dubai prison .
Teaching assistant Breda Hood was beside herself with worry after son Billy was convicted of serious drug charges for having four small bottles of CBD vape liquid and a vape pen in his car .
The 24-year-old London-born football coach – who now lives in Dubai – was arrested in January and has been behind bars ever since .
Billy was dumbfounded when police found the CBD vapes in his car , insisting they were not his .
He said they must have been left behind by a friend from the UK who he had given a lift to the airport to catch his flight home .
Following the arrest , Breda said : “ Billy has never been into drugs ever … it ’ s impossible that he ’ s guilty .
“ My son doesn ’ t deserve to lose his whole life over CBD oil that wasn ' t even his .”
She added : “ I have hidden myself away , crying and crying when I imagine what our sweet boy is going through … it ’ s the worst stress I ' ve ever been through and I feel helpless .”
After four days at CID headquarters - the former semi-pro footballer reluctantly signed a confession written in Arabic . Requests to see an English translation were refused .
Billy said : “ The next evening , I was taken to Al Barsha police station and kept in an isolation cell for 14 days without any hygiene products … I had no contact with the outside world .”
He then spent nine months in custody awaiting trial where he was found guilty of possession , trafficking and selling the CBD oil .
The Hood family , including brother Alexander , are still coming to terms with the fact that Billy could be behind bars until he ’ s 50 .
Alexander said : “ Billy is a healthy , fitness-focussed guy … mum never had to worry about him getting into drugs or smoking .
“ We never thought for a moment that going to Dubai could be a one-way ticket for him .”
Billy told lawyers that he had a ‘ zero-tolerance attitude ’ towards drugs , and said : “ One of the main reasons I moved to the UAE was to pursue my coaching career .
“ I have spent six years collecting my coaching badges and would never let something such as drugs ruin everything .”
Now the Detained in Dubai charity is helping Billy appeal his conviction and hopes the court will look again at his case .
Its CEO Radha Stirling said : “ Drug convictions are prestigious for police , leading to promotions and kudos .
“ Courts do not require substantial evidence to secure a conviction and they are happy to sentence people ’ s lives away based on third party hearsay or a forced confession .
“ Foreigners find it next to impossible to achieve a fair hearing and false allegations are commonplace .”
Breda criticised the Foreign Office for failing to alert Brits about the dangers of being falsely arrested .
She said : “ Would people still go to Dubai if they knew they could lose their freedom even though they ' ve followed the law ?
“ I know my son wouldn ' t have and British citizens need this information to decide whether to take the risk or not .”
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said : “ We are giving consular support to a British man who has been imprisoned in the UAE .”
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