In an unexpected turn of events, celebrity bodyguard Cornell Whitfield has found himself sentenced to a year in a Dubai jail after intervening to protect Grammy-nominated R&B star Trey Songz from a potential attack. Whitfield, renowned for his role as Lil Kim's personal bodyguard and providing close protection to various other stars, was doing his job when he stepped in to shield Trey Songz from an assailant outside the FIVE Palm Jumeirah hotel.
The incident occurred in March, but it wasn't until Whitfield returned to Dubai two months ago that he faced legal consequences. Arrested on an assault charge, Whitfield was informed that the individual he had intervened against had filed a criminal complaint. Subsequently, he was given an ultimatum: pay £49,000 ($60,000) to the complainant, or face a year in jail.
Despite being unable to gather the requested sum, Whitfield has been sentenced to a year in jail. Currently on bail, he is barred from leaving the United Arab Emirates, leaving his family in Miami, Florida, anxiously awaiting his return.
The situation echoes a recent case involving American student Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, who faced a year-long jail sentence in Dubai for allegedly assaulting a security guard. Similar to Whitfield's predicament, the demand for a substantial sum of money to drop charges raises questions about the legal system's handling of such cases.
The Detained in Dubai group, which successfully advocated for the commutation of Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos' sentence, is now representing Whitfield in his efforts to leave the country. As the legal saga unfolds, it sheds light on the complexities and potential pitfalls faced by individuals caught in legal disputes abroad, even when their actions were motivated by a commitment to their professional duties.
