First picture of death row gran Lindsay Sandiford back on British soil
Lindsay Sandiford, 69, convicted of smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali 13 years ago, has returned to the UK after more than a decade on death row in Indonesia. She was photographed arriving at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 on Friday.
Sandiford, a British grandmother, was seen in a wheelchair wearing black leggings and a green cardigan, covering her face as she arrived. Her return follows a humanitarian agreement between Jakarta and London that spared her execution and allowed repatriation along with another British prisoner.
Reports state the British government paid around £600 for her flight home. Before departing from Bali, Sandiford attended a handover ceremony at Kerobokan Prison, the facility where she had been held since her conviction.
She left the prison with fellow British inmate Shabab Shahabadi, 35, who was serving a life sentence for drug offences. Both were transported to Denpasar International Airport for transfer to British authorities before boarding their flight to London.
“Lindsay Sandiford and Shahab Shahabadi have serious health conditions and are being repatriated on humanitarian grounds,” said Matthew Downing, the UK’s deputy ambassador to Indonesia.
Author’s Summary
After over ten years on death row in Indonesia, Lindsay Sandiford returned to the UK under a humanitarian deal addressing her health and that of fellow inmate Shabab Shahabadi.