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Indonesia sentences Briton to death for drug trafficking Lindsay Sandiford: Indonesia sentences Briton to death for drug trafficking
(about 1 hour later)
A British woman has been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking. A British woman has been sentenced to death after attempting to smuggle £1.6m-worth of cocaine into Bali.
Lindsay Sandiford, originally from Redcar in Teesside, was arrested in May after police in Bali said they found 10.6lbs (4.8kg) of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase. Lindsay Sandiford, a 56-yearold grandmother, originally from Redcar in Teesside, was arrested for drug trafficking in May last year after local police said they found almost 5kg of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm that a British national is facing the death penalty in Indonesia. We remain in close contact with that national and continue to provide consular assistance. There were gasps of surprise in Denpasar district court as the sentence was handed down; the prosecution had sought a 15-year prison term, not the death penalty, but the judge ruled that Sandiford's attempted crime had damaged Bali's image.
"The UK remains strongly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances." Sandiford wept as judges handed down the sentence, covering her face with a scarf as she left the courtroom to return to prison. She earlier told the court she was forced into taking the drugs into the country by gangsters who were threatening to hurt one of her children, saying "the lives of my children were in danger".
Sandiford, 56, was sentenced after being found guilty of violating the country's strict drug laws by the Denpasar district court on Friday. Sandiford's lawyers are expected to appeal against the sentence.
The panel of judges headed by Amser Simanjuntak concluded that Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's drug programme. A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "We can confirm that a British national is facing the death penalty in Indonesia. We remain in close contact with that national and continue to provide consular assistance. The UK remains strongly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances."
The cocaine she smuggled was worth around $2.5m (£1.58m), Associated Press reported. Delivering the sentence, a panel headed by Judge Amser Simanjuntak said Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourist destination and weakened the government's anti-drug programme. "We found no reason to lighten her sentence," he said.
During the trial last month, prosecutors had recommended a 15-year prison term and not pursued the maximum penalty for drug trafficking, which is death. In her witness statement earlier in the trial, Sandiford expressed regret for her actions. "I would like to begin by apologising to the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people for my involvement. 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 said.
Sandiford previously told the court she became involved only because "the lives of my children were in danger". During the trial, her lawyer read out a statement from her son that said: "I love my mother very much and have a very close relationship with her. I know that she would do anything to protect me. I cannot imagine what I would do if she was sentenced to death in relation to these charges."
In her witness statement, she said: "I would like to begin by apologising to the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people for my involvement. 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." Three other Britons alleged to be involved in the same plot to smuggle drugs into Bali have yet to be sentenced. Julian Ponder faces being executed by firing squad if found guilty of playing a role in the smuggling scheme when his verdict is given on Wednesday. He is accused of receiving the drugs in Bali, but claimed he was trapped.
During the trial, Sandiford's lawyer read out a statement from her son, which said: "I love my mother very much and have a very close relationship with her. I know that she would do anything to protect me. I cannot imagine what I would do if she was sentenced to death in relation to these charges." His lawyers said he was told Sandiford was delivering a present for his child's birthday and, when he met her to receive the gift, police officers arrested him. His partner, Rachel Dougall, 38, from Brighton, faces up to 12 years in prison after being arrested after cocaine was found during a search of her and Ponder's villa.
Property developer Paul Beales faces up to 20 years in prison for his alleged part in the scheme. All three say they were set up by Sandiford.
Indonesia has one of the strictest drug policies in the world, with about 40 foreigners on death row convicted of drug crimes, according to a March 2012 report by Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy.
Five foreigners have been executed since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to the institute. There have been no executions in the country since 2008, when 10 people were put to death.