
A British teenager locked up in Dubai after a holiday romance has made an emotional plea to be allowed home, saying the whole ordeal has shattered his life. Marcus Fakana, just 19 years old, is currently behind bars in Al Awir Prison and has now formally asked Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, for clemency.
The trouble began when Marcus, who was 18 at the time, started a relationship with a 17-year-old girl from the UK while they were both on holiday with their families. What would have been completely legal and uncontroversial back home has turned into a nightmare abroad, landing Marcus a one-year prison sentence under local laws, reported the BBC.