Overdose victim's UAE lover denies using drugs

DUBAI // A man has denied using drugs on the night his girlfriend died from an overdose.

Emirati S M, 22, has already received a three-month prison sentence for having consensual sex.

He was with his girlfriend, Teem Ebrahim, also 22, when she died on August 27 at the Beach Hotel Apartments in Jumeirah 1.

He told prosecutors they would often book into a hotel to have sex, drink alcohol and go to bars, but said that on the night of her death they had only watched television and went to sleep.

The next morning, he found her on the floor breathing heavily but she had lost conciousness by the time paramedics arrived.

They tried to revive her for 40 minutes.

An autopsy found she died from overdosing on a number of drugs, including tramadol.

Ms Ebrahim had a number of injuries on her body, which S M said were inflicted when she fell in the bathroom the night before.

He also said he had seen her taking medicine, and that she had been fighting with her mother the day before.

He was convicted of consensual sex by the Misdemeanours Court but the drugs trial is being heard at the Criminal Court.

The case was adjourned to February 17.

salamir@thenational.ae