Abu Dhabi Royal Found Unconscious in London With Toddler, Sentenced to Community Order

Mahrah Al Nahyan, 32, admitted child neglect after being found unconscious on a west London street following cocaine use while a barefoot toddler played nearby.

Emirati Royal Sentenced After Child Neglect Incident on London Street

Mahrah Al Nahyan, a 32-year-old Emirati royal linked to Abu Dhabi's ruling House of Nahyan through marriage, has been handed a two-year community order after pleading guilty to child neglect, wionews.com reports. She was also fined £6,114 following sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London.

The incident dates to 13 June, when Al Nahyan was found slumped unconscious on a street in west London alongside an unconscious man, while a barefoot toddler played unattended nearby. Members of the public alerted police and tended to the child until officers arrived. Drug paraphernalia was found in Al Nahyan's bags, though no illicit substances were recovered at the scene.

Prosecutor Rio Pahlavanpour told the court that bystanders noticed the child was unattended and without shoes, in close proximity to moving traffic. "Members of the public intervened as he seemed to be in close proximity to moving traffic," Pahlavanpour said.

When approached at the scene, Al Nahyan reportedly told those present: "This is not a slaughterhouse, why do you care so much? Why are you so worried?"

Defence counsel Stephen Vullo KC argued that Al Nahyan had not taken any drugs on the day of the incident itself. He told the court she has remained drug-free since entering the Priory rehabilitation centre in Woking, Surrey. "The immediate future is she intends to complete all of the steps of a three-month programme which will come to an end at the end of this month," Vullo said.

Justice Johnson KC, presiding over the case, was unsparing in his assessment. "You showed a recklessness and disregard for [the child's] safety," the judge said, as quoted by The Times. Johnson also noted that Al Nahyan's conduct had placed the strangers who intervened at risk, and that the child "could have been taken or harmed by a stranger and could have become distressed seeing you and your friend unconscious in the street."

Al Nahyan is reported to receive a monthly allowance of £8,000 as a result of her marriage into the House of Nahyan, the ruling dynasty of Abu Dhabi. The family's estimated net worth exceeds $300 billion. The community order she received includes a rehabilitation requirement, and she is currently undergoing drug addiction treatment at the Priory centre.

Source: Google News UAE — Courts & Fraud