British Grandad’s Dark Secret from a Decade Ago Leaves Him Homeless and Desperate in Dubai
Imagine being stuck in a shimmering desert metropolis—not by choice, but because you’re tangled in a decade-long legal maze that feels like a never-ending soap opera. That’s the shocking reality for John Murphy, a grandad from Limerick whose life took a wild turn after an incident with hotel security in Abu Dhabi landed him behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Ten years, a stalled trial, a relentless travel ban, and dwindling hope later, John finds himself literally starving and stranded in a city that won’t let him go. What do you do when you’re innocent but trapped—unable to work, leave, or even get arrested to clear your name? This is more than a tale of bad luck; it’s a stark spotlight on a system that punishes those caught in debt’s web. Ready to dive into the maddening story of a veteran stuck between a rock and a hard place?
A grandad who has been stranded in Dubai for a decade has claimed he ‘hasn’t eaten for four days’ after being detained for a crime he was acquitted of.
John Murphy, from Limerick, Ireland, served in the British military before moving to the UAE to build a new life, though he was arrested in the country’s capital, Abu Dhabi, after he was allegedly offensive to hotel security a decade ago.
Despite his lawyers claiming that he should have walked free, he was held behind bars while awaiting trial, a move which caused his landlord at the time to sue him for rent arrears which accumulated during his imprisonment.
In addition, the 59-year-old was given a travel ban, his belongings were seized, and his passport was withheld.
It means that he has been effectively trapped in Dubai since, unable to work or leave, with lawyers saying he is ‘literally starving’.
Despite being let go, his travel ban was never lifted and for 10 years, the grandad has been stuck in what is being desribed as an ‘inescapable legal limbo’ by Detained in Dubai, which is the leading international authority on UAE law that provides confidential legal assistance.
Dubai Police refused to take Murphy in recently after he surrendered himself (Getty Stock Photo)
Radha Stirling, the CEO of the authority, stated: “John is literally trapped between a rock and a hard place. He is innocent, yet he cannot leave, cannot work, and cannot even be arrested to resolve his situation. He is now physically failing, suffering from serious medical and dental issues, and abandoned in a foreign country.”
Murphy’s legal representatives claimed that he’s been forced to sleep on public transport and clean himself in mall toilets.
In an emotional message sent from Dubai, Murphy stated: “I haven’t eaten in four days. I’ve been on the streets for three weeks. I try to ride the metro all day to rest, but security chase me away. I wash in mall toilets, I’ve been in the same clothes for weeks, and my health is failing.”
“I need urgent cancer treatment and dental care, but I have nowhere to turn,” he further claimed.
While homelessness is illegal in the UAE, Murphy said he attempted to surrender to police, who refused to arrest him.
Stirling called the situation ‘outrageous’ as he ‘was found innocent, yet 10 years later he is starving on the streets’.
He added: “This is the direct result of a system that criminalises debt and traps people in a cycle of poverty and despair. They won’t let him leave, and they won’t even arrest him. He is being left to die in plain sight.”
The former military man has been stuck in Dubai after being acquitted of a decade-old crime (DetainedinDubai)
Stirling further said: “The Trump administration successfully repatriated a number of American citizens from the UAE.
“It is disappointing that Britain and Ireland have not stepped in to save John Murphy. He is a veteran, a grandfather, and he has already suffered enough. The Irish and British governments must act now.”
Murphy has relatives in Limerick and Dublin who are waiting to help, though he also holds a UK passport.
Stirling claimed: “Ireland cannot abandon one of its own citizens, especially a grandfather found innocent, to die on the streets of Dubai,” though he also praised the Irish government for intervening in other cases ‘where citizens were unjustly detained or left in danger abroad’.
A GoFundMe was set up by one of Murphy’s friends, who wrote to the British and Irish embassies for their assistance, though so far neither has been able to guarantee his release.
LADbible has reached out to Detained in Dubai for a comment.
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