Bali drug mule Lindsay Sandiford returns to UK after years on death row
Lindsay Sandiford, 69, has returned to the United Kingdom after spending more than a decade on death row in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth £1.6 million into Bali.
From conviction to release
At age 56, Sandiford admitted in 2012 to bringing drugs into Indonesia but maintained she had been coerced by an international trafficking group that threatened her family. In 2013, she was sentenced to death by firing squad and spent 12 years imprisoned under extremely harsh conditions.
Arrival and current condition
Following a long 20-hour journey that included a layover, she landed at London Heathrow Airport on a £600 government-funded ticket. This marked her first arrival on British soil in more than ten years. Her release was secured on humanitarian grounds after months of diplomatic negotiations.
Health concerns and family reunion
“Doctors have assessed Lindsay and determined she's very unwell. She has spent 12 years in one of the worst prisons in the world and that has taken its toll on her,” a source said.
The same source added that Sandiford is eager to return home to see her family and begin much-needed medical treatment. Before departing Indonesia, she said farewell to fellow inmates who had become like family during her long incarceration.
Summary
After years on Indonesia’s death row, Lindsay Sandiford has finally come home to the UK, gravely ill but grateful to reunite with her loved ones.