The mother of a British influencer accused of killing her boyfriend in Dubai has begged the authorities not to put her daughter in front of a firing squad.
Brooke George, 23, is accused of stabbing William Treeby to death, and is currently in a ten-woman cell facing possible execution.
Ms George has claimed she was lured to the United Arab Emirates by Mr Treeby, 26, having been promised a life of luxury and modelling work before he confiscated her passport.
She claims she stabbed Mr Treeby with a kitchen knife in an act of self-defence when he turned violent after she booked a flight back to the UK.
Ms George, who has around 100,000 followers on TikTok, was arrested last Monday when trying to board a flight to London and has been charged with murder.
Even if she avoids the death penalty, a life sentence for the murder would offer no chance of parole.
Her mother Tess George, told The Sun that her daughter was “terrified” when she made a phone call home just hours before Mr Treeby’s death.
She said: "The day before the incident, she wasn't herself. She was quieter than usual but wouldn't tell me why.
"That evening they went to a bar in Dubai. When I spoke to Brooke right after the incident, she was absolutely terrified.
"I have never seen my daughter so frightened. She was crying uncontrollably and I could see one of her eyes was badly swollen and beginning to close.
"As Brooke's mother, I am deeply concerned for her welfare. The daughter I spoke to that night was utterly terrified. I firmly believe she was trying desperately to get home and away from whatever had happened to her."
She added that her daughter has not been given access to a lawyer following her arrest, and that she has launched a Crowdfunding page with the target of raising £75,000 to cover legal costs.
Detained in Dubai has claimed that Ms George was “forced to strip naked in front of male officers, without any female officers present,” in a “deeply humiliating and distressing” ordeal, and could not understand proceedings due to a language barrier.
Mrs George said that her daughter first started speaking with Mr Treeby online in April, before he flew here out to Dubai in May.
She recalls her daughter believing Mr Treeby was the “man of her dreams” - but things quickly went wrong, leading to the worrying phone call.
Ms George, who comes from Gravesend in Kent, claims Mr Treeby assaulted her in a car after a night out at Caffreys Bar in Jumeirah Village before continuing the attack at his flat.
It was at his apartment, where the pair went to retrieve Ms George’s passport, where the fatal stabbing occurred.
She was then detained by security staff at the airport after they noted the injuries she had sustained in the confrontation.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, is supporting Ms George but has said that she may face a firing squad if convicted.
She claims that the case highlights a pattern of young British women being brought to Dubai with promises of romance and luxury, only to be exploited.
Ms Stirling said: "Authorities must treat her as a domestic violence survivor while they investigate. Brooke maintains she acted in genuine fear for her safety after a violent assault.
"We will ensure her rights are protected and that she receives a fair trial."
Mr Treeby's family have paid tribute to him on social media, saying they are “heartbroken” by his death.
His mother Karen wrote: "'My darling son, I'm broken. Rest in forever peace, my Bill. You will be so missed and loved by us all. We will never forget you and will keep your memory alive always."
His sister Esther wrote: “He was not only my brother but my best friend. I love you, my Bill. Forever 26.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: "We are in touch with a British woman detained in the UAE. We are supporting her family and are in contact with the local authorities.”
