Dubai guards ‘boasted about beating the s**t’ out of Brit holidaymaker before he died

Guards at a notorious police station in Dubai boasted about “beating the s**t” out of a British holiday shortly before he died, an inquest has heard.

Lee Brown, 39, was arrested after appearing to suffer a psychotic episode, behaving erratically towards guards and inmates at the Bur Dubai police station on 7 April, 2011.

He was taken to the prosecutor’s office a day later, where his behaviour is said to have been erratic and offensive to other people there, the inquest at Walthamstow Coroner's Court was told.

On his return, he was allegedly beaten and kicked in the head by guards before being placed in solitary confinement, where he barely ate or drank and began to lose consciousness.

He died on 12 April, 2011 – five days after arriving at the police station.

GP records read to jurors said he had struggled with depression between 2001 and 2004 after his father passed away in his arms from a stroke.

He had no medical conditions and was not taking medication when he left for Dubai.

Jurors were told that Brown had been left to die “like a dog” at the police station.

One detainee, who could only be referred to as Detainee One, told jurors in a written statement read by the coroner: “On 8 April I pieced together various accounts from other prisoners who had also been there (to the prosecutor’s office) who said Lee had taken down his trousers and made rude and inappropriate remarks to the prosecutor, and had referred to genitals which infuriated the authorities who had ordered he be put in isolation.

“I was told he was beaten up at the prosecutors office and then beaten in the van. I was told by many prisoners guards had boasted about having beaten him.

“One prisoner said they heard guards say they ‘beat the s**t’ out of him.

“I went to the door (of the solitary cell) around 15 times in the next few days but he never responded.

“There is no dispute he was inside. He was either unconscious or semi-conscious.”

Another inmate, known as Detainee Two, said in their statement that Mr Brown “was bleeding head to toe” after returning from the prosecutor’s office and had told the detainee that he had been “beaten and kicked in the head”.

The jury inquest, which is being presided over by area coroner for east London Nadia Persaud, continues and is expected to last until Friday.