British influencer, 23, 'is charged with murdering British man in Dubai and faces being executed by firing squad'

By MARTIN ROBINSON, CHIEF REPORTER Published: 08:01, 25 June 2026 | Updated: 08:27, 25 June 2026 A British TikTok influencer has been charged with murdering a fellow Brit she connected with on Facebook in Dubai – and faces the death penalty by firing squad, according to a human rights group. Brooke George, 23, a former John Lewis shop assistant from Gravesend, is accused of killing a 26-year-old man she met online with a kitchen knife. Miss George acted in self-defence by stabbing him to death after being repeatedly beaten around the face, according to pressure group Detained in Dubai. Radha Stirling, the organisation's CEO, said: 'She reached for a knife after being attacked and punched in the face. Authorities must treat her as a domestic violence survivor while they investigate.' The former shop worker is now defending a murder charge in the UAE following an altercation with a British man she met online. Ms Stirling said George is being held in the notorious Bur Dubai prison and should be released on bail by authorities in the emirate. 'The former John Lewis worker is defending a murder charge in the UAE after an altercation with British man she met on Facebook. Her world has been shattered and her family left in tears,' she added. Brooke apparently fell for the man after he wooed her on her first trip to Dubai, where he also organised a photoshoot for her in the city.  But on her second trip he took her passport, beat her up in a car and at his flat where she killed him by 'reaching for a kitchen knife within her grasp', Detained in Dubai say. She tried to flee back to Britain but was arrested at Dubai International Airport and thrown in jail where she was allegedly forced to strip naked by a male guard and  Brooke George, 23, a former John Lewis shop assistant from Gravesend, is accused of killing a 26-year-old fellow Brit she met online with a kitchen knife British TikTok influencer Brooke George has been thrown in jail in Dubai, according to a human rights group Brooke claims she was swept off her feet by the man on her first trip to the emirate - but on the second she says he took her passport and became controlling and violent Brooke met the 26-year-old man on Facebook and travelled to Dubai after developing an online relationship.  According to Miss George, her first visit lasted about a week and was positive, describing it as 'the time of my life'.  During her second visit, however, Brooke claims she saw his behaviour change dramatically.  She alleged he became increasingly controlling and abusive, and that she discovered he had only booked her a one way ticket, leaving her alarmed and wanting to return home.  According to Brooke, after an evening at Caffreys Bar in Jumeirah Village, he became intoxicated and assaulted her in the car before continuing the attack after they returned to the apartment. According to her family, Brooke contacted them in a state of panic after being repeatedly punched.  Desperate to leave the UAE, she arranged a flight home with help from friends and returned to the apartment solely to recover her passport.  The family say she begged for her passport's return and she was punched hard in the face and attacked.  Brooke says she feared for her life and, reaching for a kitchen knife within her grasp, acted in self defence. She was arrested in the early hours of June 22 and has been charged with murder  when police arrested her when she made an attempt to escape and leave the UAE but was stopped at Dubai airport. She is currently being held at the notorious Bur Dubai Police Station. Her family claim she has been forced to strip naked in front of male officers, without any female officers present. She described the experience as deeply humiliating and distressing, breaking down in tears when recounting it to her family. Detained in Dubai claim she has received little explanation of the proceedings due to the language barrier.  She has been deprived of access to her embassy and forced to make statements in the absence of a lawyer, they say. Her mother Thereza George said in a statement released by Detained in Dubai: 'After Brooke returned to Dubai for the second time, the dynamic between them had clearly changed. 'The day before the incident, she did not seem like herself. She was quieter and not her usual happy, cheerful self, but she did not tell me why. That evening they went to a bar in Dubai. When I spoke to Brooke right after the incident, she was absolutely terrified. I have never seen my daughter so frightened in my life. She was crying uncontrollably. I could see that one of her eyes was badly swollen and was beginning to close. 'As Brooke's mother, I am deeply concerned for her welfare. The daughter I spoke to that night was utterly terrified. I firmly believe she was desperately trying to get home and away from whatever had happened to her.' The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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