A British teenager who was jailed in Dubai for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl while they were on holiday has died in a car crash three months after he was released, a campaign group has said.
Marcus Fakana, 19, died in hospital in the early hours of Friday after police pursued a vehicle in Tottenham, north London.
The Metropolitan police said its officers were attempting to stop a “vehicle of interest” on Pretoria Road at about 12.52am. The force said after a short pursuit, police temporarily lost sight of it. Officers then drove on to The Roundway and found the vehicle had been involved in a collision with another vehicle.
A Met spokesperson said: “Police were on patrol at around 00.52hrs when they attempted to stop a vehicle of interest on Pretoria Road, N18.
“After pursuing the vehicle for around 60 seconds, police temporarily lost sight before locating the vehicle on the Roundway, N17, where it had been involved in a collision.
“Officers were supported by the London ambulance service and the London air ambulance, and a 19-year-old man was taken to hospital where he sadly died.
“He has since been named as Marcus Fakana from Tottenham. His next of kin are aware and continue to be supported by specialist officers. They wish for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.
“The driver arrested close to the scene of the collision has since been charged with multiple offences.”
Fakana, who was 18 at the time of the relationship, received a royal pardon from Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in July after being sentenced to a year in prison.
Radha Stirling, the chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai, said she was “heartbroken” to share the news.
She said: “Marcus spent the majority of this year in a Dubai prison which no doubt caused him long-lasting mental anguish.
“It’s sad that of all of 2025, he was only free for the three months from the 3rd of July until the 3rd of October.”
Stirling added: “Mr [Fakana’s] loss is a painful reminder of how precious life is and how unnecessary imprisonment robs people of time they can never regain.
Raphaella Stirling, the crisis manager at Detained in Dubai, said in a post on X: “Marcus had only been released from prison earlier this year. Despite everything he endured, he was grateful for the kindness of the British public, and he embraced his freedom with renewed faith, joy, and hope for the future.
“His loss is a painful reminder of how precious life is and how unnecessary imprisonment robs people of time they can never regain. Every day of freedom matters. Rest in peace Marcus.”
Tributes were paid to Fakana on social media. One person expressed their condolences and said: “I fought for you to be released from prison in Dubai, I did my best and this is how it ended.”
Fakana had been with his parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the end of August 2024 when a “holiday romance blossomed” with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, Detained in Dubai previously said. She was reportedly one month from turning 18.
After returning to the UK and seeing pictures and messages, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who then arrested Fakana at his hotel, it was alleged.
Fakana previously said the pair had kept their “holiday romance” secret from the girl’s family “because they were strict”, and they had hoped to continue seeing each other back in the UK. Detained in Dubai, he said he felt frightened when police officers arrested him.
In Dubai, if an adult has a sexual relationship with a person under 18, they can be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor. In the UK, the age of consent is 16.
Police said Marwaan Mohamed Huseen, of Tottenham, had been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and failing to stop. He was due to appear at Highbury corner magistrates’ court on Saturday. The Met’s directorate of professional standards was informed about the incident along with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
