A British former bomb disposal worker has been held in Dubai after he refused to board a flight - fearing there was a bomb onboard.
Ex paramedic Steve Long, 39, was arrested by airport security staff in Abu Dhabi after he told them he was scared of getting on the plane. Steve, of Stockport, worked for years as a paramedic involved with bomb disposal units in the military and civilian sector.
His family believe he had been suffering from undiagnosed PTSD from his job that led to him being paranoid that there was a bomb. But concerned airport security staff chose to arrest Steve after he informed them of his fears on January 28 - and he was fined over £100k.
He is currently under police guard in hospital following court appearances he attended via video link. His lawyers say Steve ''feared there would be a bomb on the plane'' which he was due to fly on to Manchester.
They say ''he wasn’t making a bad joke - he was in the grips of residual trauma resulting from years of work as a paramedic involved with bomb disposal units''. His lawyers say it ''caused an apparent episode of heightened fear and paranoia, especially because of the drone attacks that were targeting airports in Abu Dhabi''.
His distraught family are now raising money to pay the £103,000 fine - with Steve facing prison if they cannot pay the massive amount in time. Steve's sister Clare said: "We’re afraid that my brother is suffering from undiagnosed PTSD.
''His behaviour while on holiday was becoming erratic, and we wanted to get him back to the UK. The plan was to meet him at the airport on arrival, and take him immediately to hospital.
''Now we don’t know if or when we will see him again. The UAE wants him to pay £100,000 or else he will go to prison.
"We are terrified of what might happen to him if he’s incarcerated. My brother is not a criminal.
"He has spent his life caring for others in the most drastic situations possible.' He didn’t harm anyone; he was just scared and needed help. If he goes to prison, I’m horrified at what this will do to him."
Days prior to his arrest, Steve had been exhibiting signs of deteriorating mental health whilst visiting a friend on holiday in Abu Dhabi. He had decided to return home early to the UK for medical help with his mental health when he became extremely paranoid that there could be a bomb on his flight home.
With recent drone attacks that had been targeting airports in Abu Dhabi adding to his paranoia as a result of trauma from his job in bomb disposal, Steve informed airport security of his concerns and was arrested as a result. His family flew to Abu Dhabi the next day when Steve was hospitalised and found to be suffering from rhabdomyolysis - a potentially fatal condition caused by dehydration from many hours in police restraints.
After a week of hospitalisation, he was transferred to the psychiatric ward due to his clearly fragile mental state where he then faced a judge via video link, despite medical staff declaring he did not have capacity. He now faces jail in Abu Dhabi as a result if his family cannot raise the £103,000 fine that he has been charged with.
CEO and founder of Detained in Dubai, Radha Stirling, said: "Airport staff could have taken Steve aside and simply talked to him to allay his fears. Instead, after Etihad made a criminal complaint, he was arrested and faces a prison sentence.
"Airline security makes no distinction between threats and passenger concerns about threats; they are treating Steve as though he intended to cause a disruption, when in reality, he was just scared. Steve conveyed his fears to staff precisely because he was concerned about safety.
"Even a brief discussion with him at the time would have revealed his mental state, and the issue could have been resolved on the spot. We don’t blame airport staff for reacting with alarm, or for even contacting the police, but the situation snowballed very rapidly when it should not have.'
'Steve was literally attending his court hearings from a psychiatric ward, the judge did not take into consideration that he is unwell, and he had no advocate to explain the circumstances. Steve does not deserve to be punished; he needs treatment.
"He has an extensive background dealing with bomb disposal units, and no one can imagine the toll that kind of stress can have on a person. Steve does not even recall the incident, which just shows the intensity of the episode he was suffering.
"We are asking the UAE to show some compassion and let Steve come home where he can get the care he needs. If we cannot get Steve home, his condition will undoubtedly deteriorate further, and it will be even harder to recover once he eventually serves his sentence. In other words, if the UAE does not let him come home now, Steve will be paying for this the rest of his life."
You can donate to Steve's family's fundraising page here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/cuggeu-help-get-steve-home
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