Bali drug mule Lindsay Sandiford back in the UK after years on death row
After more than a decade on Indonesia's death row, 69-year-old Lindsay Sandiford has returned to the United Kingdom. She arrived at London Heathrow Airport following a 20-hour flight that included a layover, marking her first time on British soil in over ten years.
Sandiford, who was sentenced to death in 2013 for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali, claimed she had been coerced by an international drug syndicate threatening her family. Her release was reportedly granted last month on humanitarian grounds after years in harsh prison conditions.
“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. She's desperate to get home, she's been preparing for months. Before leaving prison she said a farewell to the other prisoners who have become like family to her.”
The UK government covered the £600 cost of her flight. Sandiford is said to be eager to reunite with her family and urgently receive medical care after enduring years in confinement.
Author’s summary
After 12 years on Indonesia’s death row for drug smuggling, Lindsay Sandiford has returned to the UK, frail and seeking family reunion and urgent medical help.