Police deny beating Britons in custody

Drug charges are taken extremely seriously in the UAE

Reports that British defendants standing trial on drugs charges in the United Arab Emirates were beaten in police custody have been denied by officials.

Major Ahmed Isa of the anti-narcotics division at Ras al-Khaimah police told a court on Sunday that all the defendants made their statements to police willingly and under no duress.

In a written statement, 25-year-old defendant Daniel Mallouf claimed he was beaten by police and Stacey Simpson, 28, also said he was beaten before he was handed over to the prosecution.

Katherine Jenkins is charged with possessing cocaine

The defendants - five Britons, two Australians and one Lebanese - have all been charged with drug-related offences ranging from trafficking, dealing, possession and use.

The other defendants are Britons Anne Kidd, 32; Katherine Jenkins, 30, an Emirates Airlines flight attendant; Anna Hamilton, 22; Lebanese Abdul Hamid Dandashi, 25, and Australian Heidi De Boer, 24.

An eighth defendant, Gilbert Bilal, 24, was convicted on 13 March of drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

The hearing was adjourned until 3 April.

Mr Bilal told the Ras al-Khaimah Sharia Court about the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Abdul Hanif Damdashi in Ras al-Khaimah Emirate last October.

Police said it was his arrest and subsequent questioning which led to the others being detained.

The case is being heard in the Sharia court in the traditional and conservative emirate of Ras al Khaimah.

Anna Bartlett, 22, from Southend on Sea, Essex, admits importing cocaine and hashish but denies any intent to use, sell or trade them.

Simpson and his girlfriend Anne Kidd, both from Leeds, deny collaborating with Ms Bartlett to import cocaine and hashish.

Mr Simpson also denies possessing, selling and using cocaine, hashish and other tablets.

Ms Kidd denies possessing and using cocaine, methadone and morphine.

Stewardess Katherine Jenkins, from Neath in South Wales, denies possessing cocaine.

Mr Mallouf - a Londoner of Lebanese origin - admits using hashish but denies possessing and selling hashish and cocaine.

False ceiling

Australian defendant Heidi Dabour denies charges of cocaine possession and use.

Dandashi also denies charges of using drugs.

Last week, the court heard Ms Jenkins claim she had found drugs in a cigarette packet at her home in Dubai after Heidi Deboer had visited her.

She said she was frightened and suspicious of what she had found and so hid the drugs in the false ceiling of the gym toilet at her apartment block.