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Appeals judges have upheld a deportation order against a woman who was caught driving the wrong way in a rental car near Central Market while under the influence of alcohol.
The Moroccan woman, who already has one prior driving-under-the-influence (DUI) conviction, was found guilty once again of driving while impaired.
The Lower Criminal Court sentenced her to four months in prison, imposed a BD2,000 fine, and ordered her deportation for three years, to take effect after she completes her sentence.
According to court documents, the woman’s blood alcohol level measured 0.222 per cent, or 222mg per decilitre, a level associated with severe intoxication and significant impairment of judgment and awareness.
At around 4am on a Tuesday morning last October, she drove recklessly on the wrong side of Suwaifiyah Avenue in central Manama.
Although she was granted a Royal Pardon by His Majesty King Hamad on the occasion of National Day, which relieved her from her remaining jail time on December 15, she still wanted to contest the deportation order.
She took to the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, asking judges to overturn the non-permanent deportation.
“Your Honours, the appellant has a residency permit which is valid until 2027, and owns a commercially-registered advertising company,” read the lawyer’s defence memo.
“Please overturn the deportation order because it would lead her to lose her income – her livelihood – and would hurt her.”
However, appeals judges upheld the sentence, ruling that she could return to Bahrain after three years, if she so wishes.
In 2024, the woman received a BD1,000 fine after driving a rental vehicle under the influence of alcohol and colliding with a wall, resulting in minor damage to both the car and the wall.
In 2025, she was reported as a runaway by her employer after overstaying her visa. Although she was fined BD10, she is believed to have resolved her status thereafter. In official documentation, she is designated as an ‘investor’.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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