A British teenager who was jailed in Dubai for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl has died in a car crash just three months after he was released.
Marcus Fakana, 19, died in hospital in the early hours of Friday after police tried to stop a vehicle in Tottenham, north London.
The Metropolitan Police said its officers were attempting to stop a “vehicle of interest” after a short pursuit.
They temporarily lost sight of the vehicle but then found it had been involved a crash with another vehicle.
Fakana, who was 18 at the time of the relationship in Dubai, received a royal pardon from ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in July after being sentenced to one year in prison.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai, said in post on X that she was “heartbroken” to share the news of his death.
In a statement released by the campaign group, she said: “Prison can be deeply damaging to people, and many face post-traumatic stress after their release.
“Marcus lost precious months of his young life to imprisonment, and it is natural to wonder what might have been different had he been free. Yet what defined him was not what he lost, but the courage with which he faced adversity and the gratitude he carried into his freedom.”
Fakana had been with his parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the end of August 2024 when a “holiday romance blossomed” with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, Detained in Dubai previously said.
After returning to the UK and seeing pictures and messages, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who then arrested Fakana at his hotel, it is alleged.
In Dubai, if an adult has a sexual relationship with a person under 18, they can be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor.
The Metropolitan Police said its officers provided “immediate first aid” at the scene of Friday’s crash before paramedics arrived.
“Police were on patrol at around 00:52hrs when they attempted to stop a vehicle of interest on Pretoria Road, N18,” their statement reads.
“After pursuing the vehicle for around 60 seconds, police temporarily lost sight before locating the vehicle on The Roundway, N17, where it had been involved in a collision.
“Officers were supported by the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance, and a 19-year-old man was taken to hospital where he sadly died.”
They confirmed the victim was 19-year-old Marcus Fakana.
“He was taken to hospital where, despite the best efforts of emergency services and medical staff, he died a short time later. His next of kin have been informed.”
The male driver, aged 18, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of failure to stop and dangerous driving. He remains in police custody.
In a tribute to Farkana, Rahda Stirling added: “His loss is a painful reminder of how precious life is and how unnecessary imprisonment robs people of time they can never regain.
“Every day of freedom matters.”
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