Former Redcar woman Lindsay Sandiford to appeal against drug smuggling death sentence (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Former Redcar woman Lindsay Sandiford to appeal against drug smuggling death sentence

7:40pm Sunday 10th February 2013 in News By Julia Breen

A GRANDMOTHER who is facing the firing squad in Indonesia after being convicted of drug smuggling is expected to launch an appeal tomorrow.

Lindsay Sandiford, who is originally from Redcar, has until Tuesday to launch an appeal against her death sentence imposed after she was caught smuggling almost 5kg of cocaine – worth £1.6m – into the paradise island of Bali.

Human rights lawyer Fadillah Agus, who agreed to take on Sandiford’s case for £2,600 after meeting her six days ago, said he is confident the appeal court will throw out his client’s sentence.

He was quoted as saying: “I believe she has a very good chance of avoiding the death penalty. The sentence wasn’t appropriate and Mrs Sandiford should have been given a lighter one.”

Mr Agus, who is based in Jakarta, Indonesia, took on the case after his £2,600 fee was raised by public donations.

The charity Reprieve announced that an unnamed person had made a £2,500 online donation. The UK Government had refused to fund the cost of her appeal.

Sandiford is originally from Redcar but married and moved to London, later moving to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

She was accused by the court of damaging the image of Bali and received the sentence despite prosecutors only asking for 15 years imprisonment.

She argued she had been forced to smuggle the drugs after threats were made against her family.

It is believed that her appeal could centre on her claim she was promised a lighter sentence for taking part in a police sting operation targeting other smugglers.

If her appeal fails she could ask for presidential clemency.

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has urged the Foreign Office to rethink its policy on support for Britons sentenced to death abroad following its refusal to help fund Sandiford’s case.

She is one of 12 British nationals currently facing the death penalty overseas, according to the Foreign Office.

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