Dubai: Scottish man jailed for public gay sex was ‘only kissing and cuddling’
A Scottish man jailed in Dubai for having gay sex behind a petrol station one night claims has said there was ‘no sex involved’.
Paul Brandt, a 27-year-old teacher, told the Scottish Sun he would appeal against the three year prison sentence handed down to him after a man saw him with another man at the petrol station.
Brandt said the sentence was unduly harsh because of his sexuality.
He said: “There was no sex involved. It was just a kiss and a cuddle. I am serving a three-year sentence and I have lost my job all because of a kiss. But this is Dubai. I am going to appeal.”
Brandt added that he was not aware of the contents of a confession, which was in Arabic.
A man told the court that on the night in question in February 2011, he had parked behind a petrol witnessed and witnessed two men having sex. He reported the incident to police.
He later reported to the Dubai Misdemeanours Court: ‘I was exhausted and decided to park my car and nap for a while then I saw the two men.’
The two men apparently tried to escape when the police officers arrived, but were apprehended.
During a court hearing in March this year, they admitted to having consensual sex and consuming alcohol. Each was sentenced to three years in jail and both will be deported after serving their prison terms.
The Sunday Times comments by a spokesman for the Scottish government at the weekend that it was ready to intervene on Brandt’s behalf.
It said: “We have not been approached by Mr Brandt or his family for help in this case but would be happy to look into how we could provide support if required.”
In a much publicised case a British straight couple in 2008 were sentenced for three months in a Dubai prison and a fine for similar offences and were released and deported after an international outcry.
