The Foreign Office was accused by Mr. Brown’s family of prioritising diplomatic ties over their loved one’s welfare.
The contractor, painter, and decorator from Dagenham, east London, had intended to spend a few days there before taking a flight to join his lover in Indonesia.
Jurors were informed that he landed in the Gulf state on April 6, 2011, and that the following day, while staying at the Burj Al Arab hotel, he reportedly assaulted a maid.
According to him, the woman entered his room without asking, and after that, 20 people encircled him and hauled him to the police station.
The hearing heard testimony that he might have been experiencing a mental health episode when he entered the institution.
According to his relatives, this incident is the only plausible explanation for his reported actions at the hotel.
The jury forewoman drew a conclusion of narrative neglect, writing: “The causes that probably contributed to his death are as follows.”
‘Bruises from other detainees, guards and police officers, a lack of adequate food or water, a lack of habitable living conditions and a lack of access to necessary medical care while at the police station.
‘Factors that possibly contributed to his death are a lack of access to services and adequate clothing.
‘The neglect was by the authorities at Bur Dubai police station.’
‘It has been an absolute privilege to work with Doris Brown and Lee’s siblings who remained wholly dignified in the face of a lack of a response to the number of requests we made for some of the evidence which was never recovered.’
The Foreign Office will receive a report from Nadia Persaud, the area coroner for East London, outlining “concerns” on the problems brought up at the inquest in an effort to prevent other deaths.
There may not be enough emergency access for British nationals who are detained, there may not be enough information about the risks of detention and the conditions of detention in Dubai, and there may not be enough information about how to get to detainees who are having a mental health episode while detained.
“I would like to thank the family for their support over the last eight years,” the coroner stated.
She added: ‘I hope this inquest has answered some of the questions the family had and gone some way to finding justice for Lee.’
