Brit dad 'caught with cocaine in Dubai' jailed for 40 years in hellhole prison

A British dad hs been jailed for 40 years in a hellhole prison after he was allegedly caught with cocaine in Dubai.

Sam Dorman's family are said to be "understandably distraught" following the tattoo artist's sentencing. The 33-year-old man was taken into custody following a police sting earlier this month, it is understood. Officers reportedly found half a gram of cocaine in Dorman's possession.

And a further 28g of the Class A substance was discovered at his home, according to reports today. On British shores, that total is estimated to be worth around £2,000, however in the United Arab Emirates it could sell for three times more. Dubai is well-renowned for its zero tolerance when it comes to illegal substances.

Dorman migrated from Glossop, Derbyshire, to Dubai in 2022 to start a business, it is believed. However, following his sentencing, family back in the UK are understood to be worried for the tatto artist and barber.

The father will serve his time at Al-Awir Central Prison, it is said, which is infamous for its poor conditions and brutality. It is where British teen Marcus Fakana was detained late last year following his holiday sex with a girl, also British.

Speaking to The Sun, a source close to Dorman and his family said: "He’s got a young daughter in the UK, so to be serving 40 years is really sad. He won’t be out till he’s in his 70s. The prison’s a hellhole and Sam’s family are understandably distraught. When they spoke to him, it looked like he’d taken a ­battering. I just hope someone can help him."

The insider said dad-of-one Dorman "got in with the wrong crowd" since moving to the United Arab Emirates. The source believed a customer, to whom Dorman had sold drugs, had been apprehended by the police. They claimed police then took his phone and messaged the tattoo artist, in a bid to pretend to be the buyer and asked for more.

This then reportedly led to Dorman's arrest and he was eventually jailed on Monday, according to reports today. The Mirror has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for comment and further detail. The FCDO has, however, told The Sun: "We are supporting a British man detained in Dubai."

The case comes as another Brit, Bella May Culley, could spend the next 20 years in a hellhole jail in Georgia. The teenager, from Billingham in County Durham, was arrested in Georgia this week on suspicion of trying to smuggle drugs into the nation.