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Abu Dhabi royal found passed out on London street with toddler admits child neglect
32-year-old Mahrah Al Nahyan is a member of the ruling royal family of Abu Dhabi through marriage.
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A member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family was found passed out on a London street with a toddler playing barefoot next to her near a busy road. Reportedly, 32-year-old Mahrah Al Nahyan took Class A drugs before she was found slumped on the street near an unconscious man. Members of the public informed the police and took care of the kid until the cops arrived.
Who is Mahrah Al Nahyan?
She is a part of Abu Dhabi’s royal family through marriage. The court heard that the royal receives an £8,000 monthly allowance, reported the Telegraph.
What had happened?
She was reportedly found unconscious on June 13 by people passing on a London street. The locals told the Times that when she woke up, she behaved erratically and screamed. “This is not a slaughterhouse, why do you care so much? Why are you so worried?”
What did she admit to?
In court, she admitted to one charge of child neglect. The royal is now undergoing drug addiction treatment at the Priory centre in Woking, Surrey.
What did the prosecution say?
Rio Pahlavanpour, the prosecutor, told Southwark Crown Court. “They noticed the child was unattended, without shoes on the street with a scooter and members of the public intervened as he seemed to be in close proximity to moving traffic.”
The court heard that the police found drug paraphernalia in her bags, but there were no illicit substances.
What did her lawyer say?
Stephen Vullo KC, defending, claimed that Al Nahyan had not taken any drugs on the day of the incident. She did take cocaine earlier and was exhausted when the incident occurred.
He said that since entering the Priory centre, she has not taken any drugs. “The immediate future is she intends to complete all of the steps of a three-month programme which will come to an end at the end of this month,” he said.
“Her plan after that is to rent a property in the Guildford area and become a day patient there, where she will attend Narcotics Anonymous.”
What did the judge say to the royal?
“By leaving [the child] to play barefoot in the street while under the influence of drugs, you showed a recklessness and disregard for [the child’s] safety,” The judge, Mr Justice Johnson KC, told Al Nahyan, reported the Times.
“But for the intervention of strangers there was a serious risk they would be seriously injured or worse. They could have run away, become lost. They could have been taken or harmed by a stranger and could have become distressed seeing you and your friend unconscious in the street.”
Her lawyer said, “She made a grave mistake that day and she knows it.”
Al Nahyan was sentenced to a two-year community order with a rehabilitation requirement. She was also fined £6,114.
