British Death Row Drug Mule Gran Leaves Bali Prison
Lindsay Sandiford, 69, a British grandmother who spent over ten years on death row in Indonesia, was seen being wheeled out of Kerobokan Prison in Bali as she prepared to return home after being spared the firing squad.
Witnesses reported Sandiford covering her face with her hands during a formal handover ceremony. Indonesian officials confirmed she was transported to the airport shortly after leaving the prison compound.
Convicted of smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali, Sandiford is expected to fly to the UK on a government-funded flight after serving 13 years behind bars. Reports indicate her ticket cost about £600, and she is scheduled to arrive at London Heathrow after a 20-hour journey.
Authorities described Sandiford, a former legal secretary, as seriously unwell and eager to reunite with her family in Britain. Those close to her said she had endured harsh conditions during her incarceration.
“More than a decade in one of the world’s worst prisons has taken its toll on her and she wants nothing more than to get back to the UK,” a source told the Mirror.
Sandiford departed the prison alongside another British inmate, 35-year-old Shabab Shahabadi, who had been serving a life sentence for drug offences. Officials said Shahabadi also suffered from health problems. Both prisoners were taken to Denpasar International Airport to be handed over to British Ambassador Dominic Jeremy before their departure.
Author’s Summary
After more than a decade on Indonesia’s death row, Lindsay Sandiford leaves Bali’s Kerobokan Prison due to deteriorating health, returning to the UK to reunite with her family.