Drunk British tourist ran about naked in Palm Jumeirah hotel



DUBAI // A British tourist, drunk from drinking rum and clad in just his underwear, went to the reception of a building on the Palm Jumeirah before running about naked in a corridor.

After the police arrived, it took them 30 minutes to persuade R S, 33, to come out from behind a gate before they clothed and arrested him.

The Briton has been charged with consuming alcohol without a licence and committing an indecent act in public. He admits drinking alcohol but denies committing an indecent act.

Dubai Court of Misdemeanours heard on Thursday that the Briton had been drinking with friends at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi hotel on December 20 last year before returning to his accommodation at the Shoreline on Palm Jumeirah.

Nepali security guard S T, 34, testified that he was just starting his shift that night when he noticed the defendant in his underwear arguing with his colleagues.

“He was making noise and arguing with the other security guards when I came,” said S T. He said he tried to help calm down the Briton but the defendant pushed him aside and ran to the second floor of the building.

“I called our control room to contact police and then I followed him to the second floor, where I found that he had taken off his underwear and stood there in the brightly lit corridor, completely naked,” the security guard said.

He returned to the reception desk to wait for the police, who arrived about half an hour later.

Following his arrest, the defendant confessed to drinking rum.

“I don’t remember anything after that because I was too drunk,” he said.

The next hearing is on March 27.

salamir@thenational.ae

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

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