A 69-year-old grandmother who was sentenced to death row for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali has returned to the UK after spending 12 years in prison. Lindsay Sandiford, then 56, confessed to smuggling drugs into Indonesia in 2012, stating that she was coerced by a drug syndicate threatening her family. Following her death sentence in 2013, she endured harsh incarceration conditions until a release deal was negotiated on humanitarian grounds last month.
After a lengthy journey, including a layover, Sandiford arrived at London Heathrow Airport on a government-funded £600 ticket, marking her first return to British soil in over a decade. Reportedly, she is eager to reunite with her family and receive urgent medical care following her release secured by the UK Government.
Sources revealed that Sandiford’s health has significantly deteriorated after enduring years in prison, with her desperate to return home after bidding farewell to her fellow inmates who became like family. Pastor Christine Buckingham, who visited Sandiford in Kerobokan jail, emphasized the urgency of her medical assessment upon returning home to spend time with her family.
Seen in a wheelchair, Sandiford experienced freedom after 13 years in custody, including 12 on death row, as she left Bali’s Kerobokan prison. Shielding her face from photographers, she was swiftly transported to Denpasar International Airport to catch a Qatar Airways flight back to the UK for a 20-hour journey.
Sources in Indonesia disclosed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a direct appeal to Indonesian authorities for Sandiford’s release. Indonesian authorities indicated that she might face additional imprisonment upon arrival in the UK, although the Foreign Office did not confirm if she would be taken into custody. Deputy Minister I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram stated that she would remain in prison in England.
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