{"id":369838,"date":"2026-07-21T20:55:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=369838"},"modified":"2026-07-21T20:55:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:25:47","slug":"british-woman-jailed-in-dubai-over-19000-unpaid-rent-shared-cell-with-murderers-news-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/british-woman-jailed-in-dubai-over-19000-unpaid-rent-shared-cell-with-murderers-news-world\/","title":{"rendered":"British woman jailed in Dubai over \u00a319,000 unpaid rent shared cell with murderers | News World"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kerry Nwachukwu cannot leave the United Arab Emirates until her \u00a319,000 debt has been paid off (Picture: Kennedy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A crowdfunder has been began for a British businesswoman who ended up in a Dubai jail over nearly \u00a320,000 of unpaid rent.<\/p>\n

Kerry Nwachukwu, 44, from London, is unable to depart the UAE after travel bans were imposed on her until she pays her debts to 2 landlords.<\/p>\n

She moved to town in August 2022 together with her son John, 25, to establish a marketing agency after giving up her job as marketing director at Sotheby\u2019s.<\/p>\n

But by late 2024 and into 2025, she entered a legal and financial crisis over two separate Rental Dispute Centre cases.<\/p>\n

Kerry got \u00a319,000 into rent arrears with two landlords after greater than \u00a310,000 in client contracts went unpaid.<\/p>\n

Due to legal proceedings against her, she has been unable to renew her UAE business licence since January, while her financial situation has also been worsened by the war within the Middle East.<\/p>\n

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On April 22 this 12 months, unaware an arrest warrant had already been issued against her, she was detained in a shopping center on her way back from talking to a rental clerk.<\/p>\n

She was taken to Bur Dubai police station where she was held for 2 weeks before being sent to Al Awir Central Jail.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018It\u2019s a criminal offence once I don\u2019t pay rent, but when businesses don\u2019t pay people, there is no such thing as a legal consequence in any respect.\u2019<\/p>\n

Describing conditions within the prison, Kerry said she didn\u2019t initially have a mattress, almost got into fights and met \u2018so many dangerous characters.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Kerry moved to Dubai in 2022 to establish a marketing agency \u2013 but with creditors not paying what they owe, she got into rent arrears (Picture: Kennedy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What little money she had, she spent \u00a33 on a pair of slippers to avoid walking on urine within the toilets because other inmates peed on the ground.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018I used to be put inside with individuals who\u2019ve murdered people. I used to be in a single cell with individuals who were selling drugs.<\/p>\n

\u2018How is that even possible? Only for not paying your rent, you might be thrown right into a horrible, horrible jail.<\/p>\n

\u2018I became a individual that I don\u2019t need to be \u2013 it\u2019s terrifying I could stay awake every night, I used to be feeling someone\u2019s going to leap at me.\u2019<\/p>\n

She paid \u00a33,000 to be released in mid-May under a 15-month repayment plan after repeated requests from her son.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the identical judge reversed that call three weeks later and gave her 15 days to repay as a substitute.<\/p>\n

That period is now up and Kerry, who warns in regards to the dark side of the \u2018glitz and glamour\u2019 of living in Dubai, fears she might be arrested at any moment.<\/p>\n

Her lawyer has told her that if she will be able to raise \u00a34,000 it might persuade the judge to cancel the present arrest warrant, but even this just isn’t guaranteed.<\/p>\n

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Kerry\u2019s son John requested her release nine times before she was freed \u2013 but she still faces potential arrest(Picture: Kennedy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ultimately she desires to return home to the UK.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018If I had any means to literally pay the courts today, I\u2019ll be on a plane straight out of here.<\/p>\n

\u2018I might not even look back. All my stuff is in storage, I\u2019ll get a courier to bring it to the UK. I\u2019ll literally just run out with my two suitcases and I won\u2019t even look back.\u2019<\/p>\n

Her family and friends within the UK have arrange a GoFundMe page to assist cover day-to-day living costs and rent while repaying the 2 separate rental installment plans \u2013 that are each tied to their very own travel ban.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Kerry adds that GoFundMe just isn’t an authorised platform in Dubai \u2013 and using it could also result in legal consequences.<\/p>\n

\u2018I’ll find yourself with one other judgment against me, one other prison sentence, only for my family helping me out with GoFundMe,\u2019 Kerry says.<\/p>\n

Before all of this, she began writing a book about constructing her business \u2013 but she now desires to base it on her detention story.<\/p>\n

She concluded: \u2018People must know the story of a businesswoman by herself, attempting to construct somewhere where actually the law may be very dangerous and folks don\u2019t forgive you.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: First have a look at world\u2019s largest airport opening in Dubai with a \u00a326 billion price tag<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: British influencer faces death by firing squad after being charged with murder in Dubai<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kerry Nwachukwu cannot leave the United Arab Emirates until her \u00a319,000 debt has been paid off (Picture: Kennedy) A crowdfunder has been began for a British businesswoman who ended up in a Dubai jail over nearly \u00a320,000 of unpaid rent. Kerry Nwachukwu, 44, from London, is unable to depart the UAE after travel bans were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":369839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20691],"tags":[2869,1631,2783,22216,42331,395,9717,2533,44686,3353,813],"class_list":["post-369838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-british","tag-cell","tag-dubai","tag-jailed","tag-murderers","tag-news","tag-rent","tag-shared","tag-unpaid","tag-woman","tag-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t