A member of Abu Dhabi's ruling royal family has been sentenced for child neglect after being found unconscious on a busy London street following cocaine use, while a three-year-old child in her care wandered barefoot near moving traffic.
Mahrah Al Nahyan, 32, admitted one count of child neglect at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday and was handed a two-year community order requiring rehabilitation, according to The Times.
The court heard that Al Nahyan, who is connected to the ruling dynasty of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates through marriage, had been taking cocaine in the days leading up to the incident on 13 June.
Members of the public discovered her slumped against railings in west London beside an unconscious man, while the toddler played nearby with a scooter and a toy plane.
The child, who was not wearing shoes, was seen approaching moving traffic, prompting passers-by to intervene and contact the police at around 1.50pm.
Rio Pahlavanpour, prosecuting, told the court that the child had been left unattended and was at serious risk of harm.
"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," he said.
Al Nahyan reportedly remained unconscious for around 30 minutes before waking and behaving erratically.
"This is not a slaughterhouse, why do you care so much? Why are you so worried?" she allegedly shouted at those who had intervened.
Video footage recorded by a member of the public showed Al Nahyan slumped against railings with her head bowed and arms crossed, while the unconscious man lay on his back in a nearby doorway.
Police subsequently discovered drug paraphernalia in her bags, although no illicit substances were recovered.
Sentencing Al Nahyan, Mr Justice Johnson KC condemned her conduct, saying she had shown a serious disregard for the child's welfare.
"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," he said.
The judge described how the toddler had run towards the road while chasing a piece of paper before being stopped by a member of the public.
"But for the intervention of strangers there was a serious risk they would be seriously injured or worse," he said.
"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."
Royal family ties and drug rehabilitation
Al Nahyan is connected through marriage to the House of Nahyan, the dynasty that has ruled Abu Dhabi for generations and from which UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan comes.
The family, which controls vast oil wealth and holds extensive international investments, is estimated to be worth more than £250 billion, according to The Times.
The court heard that Al Nahyan receives a monthly allowance of £8,000, although details of her marriage and her precise relationship to members of the ruling family were not disclosed.
Her defence lawyer, Stephen Vullo KC, told the court that she had not taken drugs on the day of the incident but was exhausted after using cocaine beforehand.
He said she had demonstrated "significant remorse and resolve to overcome her addiction" and had not used drugs since entering the Priory rehabilitation centre in Woking, Surrey, in July.
"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 lawyer added that she intended to move to the Guildford area following her treatment and continue attending rehabilitation sessions and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
"She made a grave mistake that day and she knows it," he told the court.
Al Nahyan was sentenced to a two-year community order with a rehabilitation requirement and ordered to pay a £5,000 fine and £1,000 in prosecution costs.