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| Bali drugs: Death sentence for Briton Lindsay Sandiford | Bali drugs: Death sentence for Briton Lindsay Sandiford |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 56-year-old British grandmother has been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking. | A 56-year-old British grandmother has been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking. |
| Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after Bali police, carrying out a routine customs check, found 4.8kg (10.6lb) of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase. | Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after Bali police, carrying out a routine customs check, found 4.8kg (10.6lb) of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase. |
| Sandiford, whose last UK address was in Gloucestershire, said she was coerced into bringing the drugs to the island. | Sandiford, whose last UK address was in Gloucestershire, said she was coerced into bringing the drugs to the island. |
| Her lawyers said they were "surprised" at the verdict and would appeal. | Her lawyers said they were "surprised" at the verdict and would appeal. |
| Sandiford was held after a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. | Sandiford was held after a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. |
| There was an audible gasp of surprise in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered. | There was an audible gasp of surprise in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered. |
| Although the maximum penalty for drug trafficking in Indonesia is death, the prosecution had recommended a 15 year sentence, saying Sandiford's age should be taken into consideration and the fact that she has no prior convictions. | Although the maximum penalty for drug trafficking in Indonesia is death, the prosecution had recommended a 15 year sentence, saying Sandiford's age should be taken into consideration and the fact that she has no prior convictions. |
| But delivering their verdict the judges said there were no mitigating reasons that convinced them they should reduce their sentence. | But delivering their verdict the judges said there were no mitigating reasons that convinced them they should reduce their sentence. |
| They added that Mrs Sandiford did not appear to care about the consequences of her actions. | They added that Mrs Sandiford did not appear to care about the consequences of her actions. |
| Walking out of the court room the 56-year-old from Gloucestershire appeared shocked, covering her head with a brown sarong, hiding her face from the glare of the cameras. | Walking out of the court room the 56-year-old from Gloucestershire appeared shocked, covering her head with a brown sarong, hiding her face from the glare of the cameras. |
| Her lawyer has said they will definitely appeal. He added it is very rare that judges deliver a sentence that is so much harsher than what the prosecution has recommended. | Her lawyer has said they will definitely appeal. He added it is very rare that judges deliver a sentence that is so much harsher than what the prosecution has recommended. |
| Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence of imprisonment. | Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence of imprisonment. |
| But the judges said there were no mitigating circumstances and the defendant did not appear to care about the consequences of her actions. | But the judges said there were no mitigating circumstances and the defendant did not appear to care about the consequences of her actions. |
| They said Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's anti-drugs programme. | They said Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's anti-drugs programme. |
| Sandiford's lawyer said it was very rare that judges delivered a sentence so much harsher than the prosecution had recommended, the BBC's Jakarta correspondent Karishma Vaswani reported from the court. | Sandiford's lawyer said it was very rare that judges delivered a sentence so much harsher than the prosecution had recommended, the BBC's Jakarta correspondent Karishma Vaswani reported from the court. |
| The defendant appeared shocked and covered her head with a brown sarong to hide her face from the glare of cameras, our correspondent added. | The defendant appeared shocked and covered her head with a brown sarong to hide her face from the glare of cameras, our correspondent added. |
| Sandiford, originally from Redcar in Teesside, was accused of being at the centre of a ring involving three other Britons. | Sandiford, originally from Redcar in Teesside, was accused of being at the centre of a ring involving three other Britons. |
| Last year, Paul Beales was sentenced to four years for possession of drugs and Rachel Dougall was jailed for one year for failing to report a crime. | Last year, Paul Beales was sentenced to four years for possession of drugs and Rachel Dougall was jailed for one year for failing to report a crime. |
| The drug possession trial of Julian Ponder, from Brighton - who is believed to be Dougall's partner - is still taking place. He is alleged to have collected cocaine from Sandiford. | The drug possession trial of Julian Ponder, from Brighton - who is believed to be Dougall's partner - is still taking place. He is alleged to have collected cocaine from Sandiford. |
| Sandiford's case had been taken up by the British human rights charity Reprieve, which said she had been "targeted by drug traffickers who exploited her vulnerability and made threats against her children". | Sandiford's case had been taken up by the British human rights charity Reprieve, which said she had been "targeted by drug traffickers who exploited her vulnerability and made threats against her children". |
| It says she was held for 10 days without access to a lawyer or translator after her arrest and the Indonesian authorities failed to inform the British embassy during this time. | It says she was held for 10 days without access to a lawyer or translator after her arrest and the Indonesian authorities failed to inform the British embassy during this time. |
| In response to the sentence, Reprieve's Harriet McCulloch said: "She is clearly not a drug king pin - she has no money to pay for a lawyer, for the travel costs of defence witnesses or even for essentials like food and water. | In response to the sentence, Reprieve's Harriet McCulloch said: "She is clearly not a drug king pin - she has no money to pay for a lawyer, for the travel costs of defence witnesses or even for essentials like food and water. |
| "She has cooperated fully with the Indonesian authorities but has been sentenced to death while the gang operating in the UK, Thailand and Indonesia remain free to target other vulnerable people." | "She has cooperated fully with the Indonesian authorities but has been sentenced to death while the gang operating in the UK, Thailand and Indonesia remain free to target other vulnerable people." |
| During the trial Sandiford's defence lawyer told Denpasar District Court that a history of mental health problems made her vulnerable. | During the trial Sandiford's defence lawyer told Denpasar District Court that a history of mental health problems made her vulnerable. |
| In a witness statement, Mrs Sandiford apologised to "the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people" for her involvement. | In a witness statement, Mrs Sandiford apologised to "the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people" for her involvement. |
| She added: "I would never have become involved in something like this but the lives of my children were in danger and I felt I had to protect them". | She added: "I would never have become involved in something like this but the lives of my children were in danger and I felt I had to protect them". |
| In another statement read out in court, her son Eliot said he believed his mother was forced into trafficking after a disagreement over rent money she paid on his behalf. | In another statement read out in court, her son Eliot said he believed his mother was forced into trafficking after a disagreement over rent money she paid on his behalf. |
| Indonesia has some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the world, but BBC correspondents say executions, which are carried out by firing squad, rarely take place. | Indonesia has some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the world, but BBC correspondents say executions, which are carried out by firing squad, rarely take place. |
| Five foreigners have been executed in Bali since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. | Five foreigners have been executed in Bali since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. |
| Most of the 40 foreigners currently on death row have been convicted of drug crimes but there have been no executions since 2008 when the penalty was carried out for terrorism offences. | Most of the 40 foreigners currently on death row have been convicted of drug crimes but there have been no executions since 2008 when the penalty was carried out for terrorism offences. |
| The UK Foreign Office said: "We are aware that Lindsay Sandiford is facing the death penalty in Indonesia. | |
| "We strongly object to the death penalty and continue to provide consular assistance to Lindsay and her family during this difficult time." | |
| It said "repeated representations" about the case were made to Indonesia following her arrest and the foreign secretary had raised the case during the Indonesian president's state visit in November. | |
| The Foreign Office says its policy is to use "all appropriate influence" to prevent the execution of a British national including "high-level political lobbying when necessary". | |
| But BBC political correspondent Norman Smith said any pressure by the UK government in Sandiford's case was now likely to occur after the judicial appeals process was complete. | |
| Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood said the verdict was unexpected and "very worrying" and he would seek to raise the sentence with Foreign Secretary William Hague. | Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood said the verdict was unexpected and "very worrying" and he would seek to raise the sentence with Foreign Secretary William Hague. |
| "I'm appalled by this development," he told the BBC. | "I'm appalled by this development," he told the BBC. |
| "We had been given encouraging signals by the Indonesian ambassador that Indonesia was moving away from the death penalty, that this was something that was associated with the days of the dictatorship, long since past." | "We had been given encouraging signals by the Indonesian ambassador that Indonesia was moving away from the death penalty, that this was something that was associated with the days of the dictatorship, long since past." |
| Meanwhile, Sebastian Saville, the former chief executive of the human rights charity Release, said the sentence was "utterly deplorable". | Meanwhile, Sebastian Saville, the former chief executive of the human rights charity Release, said the sentence was "utterly deplorable". |
| But he said: "There are many people executed every year in local countries - Thailand, Cambodia - for much smaller amounts of drugs.... So it does not fall out of the remit for someone caught with 5kg of cocaine to be given the death sentence." | But he said: "There are many people executed every year in local countries - Thailand, Cambodia - for much smaller amounts of drugs.... So it does not fall out of the remit for someone caught with 5kg of cocaine to be given the death sentence." |
| He added: "If we took a referendum in this country... should people caught with 5kg of cocaine be executed, yes or no... I think you'd be surprised about the number of yeses, as we live in a world which believes in punishment, not in fixing things." | He added: "If we took a referendum in this country... should people caught with 5kg of cocaine be executed, yes or no... I think you'd be surprised about the number of yeses, as we live in a world which believes in punishment, not in fixing things." |