A surgeon from Greater Manchester is back in Britain after being held by authorities in Dubai for making an offensive hand gesture at another motorist.
Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, 41, was accused of gesturing rudely to the driver of a car that was tailgating him.
A judge agreed to release Mr Nunoo-Mensah’s passport on the condition that he paid a fine of £335, although he has protested that he simply raised his hands and said ‘What?’.
The surgeon who works at King’s College Hospital in London is thankful that he has been allowed to return to the UK.
“I have got a family to support, I’ve got patients to look after and effectively they were depriving me of my right to a living and function,” he said.
“There’s no independent witness to judge this case on. It’s gone from the police to the courts without a lot of substantial evidence.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office explained laws and customs in the United Arab Emirates may be ‘very different’.
“There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK,” he added.
Mr Nunoo-Mensah is not the only mancunian to get in trouble for offensive behaviour. The following notable Manchester figures have all had problems keeping good manners.
Wayne Rooney
‘Rooneygate’ was the subject on everybody’s lips a few weeks ago as the United striker swore directly into the camera after completing his hat-trick against West Ham in April. In 2006 Rooney was also alleged to have given England Fans the V sign following a disappointing 2-0 loss against Croatia.
Tony Wilson
‘Mr Manchester’ himself Tony Wilson was caught up in controversy after a sweary tirade against production staff at Granada TV was mistakenly broadcast. The station temporarily suspended the Manchester music hero following the incident and Wilson apologised for any offence caused.
Shaun Ryder
The Happy Monday’s frontman swore repeatedly on a live broadcast of TV show TFI Friday on channel 4. Following this incident TFI Friday was forced to switch from a live broadcast format to a pre-recorded one. Shaun was banned from appearing on any live channel 4 programs and is the only person to be listed by name in the Channel 4 transmission guidebook.
Sir Alex Ferguson
The Manchester United manager reacted angrily to suggestions by a sky news reporter that he was under pressure following a match against Bolton in 2008. The United boss referred to the suggestion as Bollocks and the reporter was forced to ask him to watch his language during the live broadcast.
Liam Gallagher
Apart from his music, Beady Eye and Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is also known for his fondness for bad language. There are many instances to pick from but Liam’s foul mouthed acceptance speech at last year’s Brit Awards shows he still has no qualms about offending an audience. Liam was quick to defend Rooney this year following his bad language.
Found yourself in hot water after an off-hand comment or hand gesture? You can leave your experiences in the comments box below.
