Skip to content

Driver admits killing teen freed from Dubai jail

News imageFakana family Marcus wearing school uniform blazer, shirt and tie. He is standing against a mushroom-coloured wall for a photograph.Fakana family
Marcus Fakana was killed three months after being freed from a Dubai jail

A driver has admitted killing Marcus Fakana - who was freed from jail in Dubai after having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl - in a crash while trying to flee police.

Marwaan Mohamed Huseen, 20, was driving away from pursuing Metropolitan Police officers when he crashed a BMW into a lorry, killing the 19-year-old passenger.

A second person in the vehicle was also badly hurt in the crash, which happened in the early hours of 3 October last year in Tottenham, north London.

At Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, Huseen appeared by videolink from HMP Pentonville to plead guilty to causing the death of Fakana by dangerous driving.

Huseen, who admitted being uninsured and unlicensed at the time, also pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving to another of the passengers in the BMW.

The crash happened just three months after Fakana, from Tottenham, north London, was set free from a prison in Dubai.

He had been with his parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the summer of 2024 when, at the age of 18, he had a holiday romance with a 17-year-old girl from London.

The teenager spent around a year in prison before being freed thanks to a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Radha Sterling, chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai which had lobbied for his release from prison, previously said she was "heartbroken" by news of the teenager's death.

"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."

He had been reported to the authorities in the UAE after the girl's mother saw pictures and messages on her phone.

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.

News imageA silver car is pictured crashed into a lorry. Its boot is up and a police car is parked immediately behind it. Police tape is around the scene and a forensic officer wearing a blue hazmat suit is carrying equipment over their shoulder while pointing to the car. Another forensics officer is at the back of the car clutching a box.
The car Marcus Fakana was travelling in crashed into a lorry while being pursued by police

At the time of the fatal car crash, the Met Police said officers were attempting to stop a "vehicle of interest" in Pretoria Road, Tottenham, and after a short pursuit they temporarily lost sight of the car driven by Huseen.

When officers then drove in to The Roundway, they found the vehicle had been involved in a crash.

Fakana was taken to hospital and later died from his injuries.

Huseen was remanded back into custody and a sentencing date will be set at a further hearing on 27 February.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk