THREE Brits who faced the death penalty for allegedly smuggling £300,000 of cocaine into Bali have been let off with a one-year sentence.
The trio from Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex were stopped at Bali’s international airport in February with 17 packages of cocaine, according to court documents.
AFPAlleged drug mules Lisa Stocker, Jonathan Collyer and Phineas Float receive their sentence at court in Denpasar in Indonesia’s Bali on Thursday[/caption]
AFPStocker and Collyer weep during their trial[/caption]
EPAEach has been given a 12-month prison term[/caption]
Lisa Stocker, 39, a mum-of-three, and her partner, Jon Collyer, 39, had travelled from the UK via Qatar and were stopped in Indonesia’s capital after a routine airport x-ray detected suspicious packages.
The couple first appeared in court on February 3 alongside Phineas Float, 31, who was accused of receiving the packages at an airport hotel.
Presiding judge Heriyanti said on Thursday morning that all three suspects had violated article 131 of Indonesian Narcotic law.
But Heriyanti added that the trio had admitted their offences and behaved “politely”, and as a result, he was reducing their sentence.
All three defendants said that they accepted the verdict and would not file an appeal.
They have been serving time since February, which will count towards their sentence.
This means they are expected to be released early next year.
In the past, convicted drug traffickers – especially those caught with large amounts – have been executed by firing squad in Indonesia.
Those who escape the death penalty are often sentenced to life imprisonment.
In mid-July, lead prosecutor Made Dipa Umbara suggested the trio might be able to avoid a serious prison sentence.
He announced they will ask to “sentence the defendants to one year in prison” each, minus the time already served.
Umbara noted that all three had behaved well in court, apologised for their role in the smuggling plot and promised not to reoffend.
On July 15, Ms Stocker broke down in tears as she told the court she had been conned into carrying illicit packages.
She claimed a friend in the UK gave her the packages of Angel Delight and asked her to take them to Bali.
Ms Stocker said in June: “Jon and I had been to Bali twice carrying packages from [him]. I was shocked after finding out it was cocaine.”
In mid-July, she again claimed she had no idea that her suitcase was full of narcotics.
Her partner, Mr Collyer, admitted what they did was “very stupid”, telling Judge Heriyanti, “I won’t do it again.”
Mr Float remained quiet as he sat in court in mid-July after being involved in a shouting match during a previous hearing.
Back in June, while walking to the courtroom for the first day of his trial he yelled at a journalist: “F*** off.”
AFPPhineas Float attends his trial[/caption]
Stocker and Collyer inside a court room for their trial Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
