British TikTok Influencer Faces Firing Squad in Dubai over Alleged Murder as Family Claims Self Defence

Ololade Adeyanju/

A 23-year-old British TikTok influencer is facing the possibility of execution by firing squad in the United Arab Emirates after being charged with the murder of a British man she met online, as her family insist she acted in self defence following months of alleged abuse.

Brooke George, from Gravesend, Kent, is being held by police in Dubai over the death of 26-year-old Bill Treeby, who died after being stabbed during an altercation at his apartment. Under UAE law, murder can carry the death penalty, although executions are rare and any sentence would be subject to judicial proceedings and appeals.

George’s family say she travelled to Dubai after meeting Treeby on Facebook and that what began as a long-distance relationship turned into what they describe as a controlling and abusive ordeal. They allege that during her second visit to the Gulf state, Treeby purchased a one-way ticket for her, confiscated her passport and repeatedly assaulted her.

According to the family’s account, George grabbed a kitchen knife while trying to defend herself during a violent confrontation at the apartment after the pair had returned from a night out.

They say she feared for her life and acted solely to protect herself.

The family, backed by the legal advocacy organisation Detained in Dubai, say friends helped arrange a flight for George to return to Britain, but she was arrested by Dubai authorities in the early hours of 22 June before she could leave the country.

Her supporters have also raised concerns about her treatment in custody.

George claims she has been denied access to a lawyer and an interpreter during questioning and alleges she was forced to strip naked in front of male police officers. Those allegations have not been independently verified, and UAE authorities have not publicly responded to them.

Adding to the family’s defence, British court records reportedly show that Treeby had previously been convicted of assaulting a woman and was awaiting trial in the UK on unrelated cocaine supply charges at the time of his death. Those previous legal matters have no bearing on the determination of George’s criminal responsibility in the Dubai case.

George’s mother, Thereza, has launched a public fundraising campaign seeking £75,000 to cover legal representation, travel expenses and other costs associated with defending her daughter in the UAE.

“Brooke is a loving, ambitious young woman who has always embraced life with determination and believed the world was full of opportunities,” she wrote in an appeal supporting the fundraiser.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed it is providing consular assistance.

A spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British woman detained in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The case has attracted significant attention because of the severe penalties available under UAE law and the family’s insistence that George was the victim of sustained domestic abuse who acted in self defence rather than with criminal intent.

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