World4 min(s) read
There's been a major update in the case of a 23-year-old British influencer facing death by firing squad in Dubai.
Brooke George, 23, from Gravesend, Kent, remains in custody following the death of her British boyfriend, William Treeby, on June 21.
George is accused of fatally stabbing the 26-year-old but maintains she did not deliberately kill him, with her defense arguing that his death occurred during a violent confrontation.
Her trial has now been adjourned until September 21, when prosecution witnesses are expected to appear before the court.
Following the hearing, George was allowed to video call her family as she remains in custody.
During proceedings, her defense asked the judge to summon everyone who testified against her, arguing there were major discrepancies between their accounts.
Her lawyers also noted that some witnesses have already left the UAE.
The defense has been given until September 21 to challenge the prosecution witnesses, while George will remain detained in the meantime.
Forensic evidence found that the former John Lewis shop assistant had suffered facial injuries consistent with her account that Treeby assaulted her before his death.
According to Detained in Dubai, which is assisting George and her family, she claims she acted in self-defense after being attacked.
Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of the organization, said: "This is an extremely important development for Brooke. Until now, she has been sitting in a Dubai prison knowing that statements made against her contain gross discrepancies that have not yet been properly tested before the court.
"Brooke is just 23 years old. She has been incarcerated thousands of miles from her family, facing the most terrifying accusation imaginable and the possibility of the gravest possible consequences. Every additional week in detention is extraordinarily difficult for her and devastating for those who love her.
"But there is now an opportunity for the defense to confront the evidence directly. Brooke's lawyers have specifically asked that the people whose statements are being relied upon against her be brought before the court. Where accounts conflict, those discrepancies must be exposed and properly examined," they added.
George's lawyers have asked for the medical expert who examined Treeby's body to appear in court.
The defense wants to question the expert about Treeby's extremely high intoxication and whether alcohol materially contributed to his death.
"It is particularly important that the medical evidence is scrutinized. The defense has raised serious questions concerning the deceased's level of intoxication and wants the medical expert who examined his body to answer those questions before the court,” Stirling said.
The case files contain some digital and forensic material, including examinations of mobile phones and communications connected to the case.
However, per George's representatives, there does not appear to have been an examination of Treeby's or the witnesses' technology after her arrest.
George was arrested at Dubai International Airport in the early hours of June 22 after reportedly arranging a flight back to Britain following Treeby's death.
Detained in Dubai previously said she claimed Treeby had assaulted her after the pair returned from an evening at Caffreys Bar in Jumeirah Village.
Her family said she contacted them in a "state of panic after being repeatedly punched" and later returned to the apartment to retrieve her passport.
"The family say she was crying and begging for her passport's return when she was punched hard in the face and attacked. Brooke says she feared for her life and, reaching for a kitchen knife within her grasp, acted in self defence," Detained in Dubai said.
George's defense will now have the opportunity to challenge evidence against her when proceedings resume.
"Brooke has consistently maintained that she did not deliberately murder her boyfriend. Her defence is that what happened arose during a violent confrontation and struggle. She deserves a rigorous examination of the evidence before any conclusion is reached," Stirling said.
"The next hearing could therefore be extremely significant. We hope the witnesses attend, that the defense is given a genuine opportunity to challenge their accounts and that the medical evidence is examined thoroughly and independently.
"For Brooke's family, 21 September cannot come soon enough. They desperately want their daughter home, but above all they want to know that she is receiving a fair trial and that every piece of evidence capable of establishing what really happened that night is put before the court," they added.
