Billy Hood: Family of Londoner jailed in Dubai face agonising six week wait for vape oil appeal
'I urge [Ruler of Dubai] Sheikh Mohammed to look into the case because it is shambolic...' Billy's friend Alfie Cain told ITV News
Disappointed family and friends of a Londoner jailed for 25 years in Dubai face an agonising six week wait for his appeal hearing.
Billy Hood, 24, was arrested shortly after moving to the city in January after being found with CBD vape oil in his car.
The liquid contains trace elements of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis which is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking to ITV News Billy's friend Alfie Cain appealed to the Ruler of Dubai to intervene in what he described as a "shambolic case".
"I urge [Ruler of Dubai] Sheikh Mohammed to pull the legal affairs department of Dubai together and to look into the case because it is shambolic," Alfie said.
"I spoke to Billy a couple of days ago, he's trying his best to hold it together and stay positive.
"What we have received today is an automated response from the legal team in Dubai saying they have now pushed the verdict back to November 30, so six weeks.
"A long time for someone who has already been in there ten months," he added.
Alfie said Billy was forced to sleep on the floor during his first week in jail because he wasn't given a mattress.
"It's still very worrying and scary, if he ever does get out what is his mental health going to be like? Is he going to suffer from PTSD?" Alfie added.
Billy Hood told police the bottles belonged to a friend who accidentally left them in his car but claims he was coerced into signing a confession written in Arabic.
Speaking during a brief phone call to his family last week Mr Hood said: "The conditions here are shocking, I still haven’t got a mattress after seven days of being moved in... I’ve got literally 15 or 20 seconds, it’s going to cut out.
"But I’ll try to give you a call next week, if possible."
The call then disconnected.