British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford was jailed in Indonesia after she was caught trying to smuggle cocaine into the country in her suitcase
For 12 gruelling years, British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has been on death row at a Bali prison, but now she is set to return to the UK in a shock U-turn.
Sandiford was handed a death sentence in 2013 after she was caught with cocaine worth $2.14million (£1.6million) concealed in the false bottom of her suitcase upon her arrival from Thailand a year earlier. Punishments for crimes such as drug trafficking and dealing in Indonesia are brutal, with most sentenced to death – and the execution method is terrifying.
Convicts are led to a grassy patch where they can opt to sit or stand before armed soldiers take aim at their hearts. If a prisoner survives the initial firing squad, the commander is then required to deliver a fatal shot to the head.
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Indonesia executes prisoners sporadically, with most inmates languishing on death row for over a decade. Former legal secretary Sandiford remained locked up in Kerobokan Prison in Bali waiting for her fate.
But as part of an agreement signed by the Indonesian government, Lindsay Sandiford will be repatriated alongside fellow Brit Shahab Shahabadi. An Indonesian official today said: “The practical arrangement will be signed today. The transfer will be done immediately after the technical side of the transfer is agreed.”
The grandmother was said to have passed her time in custody creating knitted goods, which she subsequently sold to generate funds for her legal challenges. She also taught fellow inmates her knitting techniques.
Nevertheless, the strain of such a lengthy period on death row clearly affected Sandiford, who struck up a friendship with suitcase murderer Heather Mack while inside. Mack completed a 10-year stretch for killing her mother, whose body was subsequently crammed into a suitcase by her partner.
Mack received a decade behind bars, while her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer was imprisoned for 18 years in 2015 following their conviction for murdering Sheila von Wiese-Mack. The convicted killer revealed that Sandiford was growing progressively withdrawn during her imprisonment.
Mack previously said: “I am friends with Lindsay but she has been difficult to speak to recently. She spends all day pretty much alone in her cell and doesn’t mix so much with the other prisoners. She snaps at me for no reason but I still make an effort with her.”
Mack revealed that Sandiford was visibly shaken and distressed when two other inmates, convicted of drug offences, were abruptly taken away and executed. She stated: “They had turned their lives around and were different people to when they were convicted, so everyone thought they would be OK.
“When Lindsay saw that even they could be taken away and killed, she knew it would be happening to her. That’s when it really, really hit home for her.”
Mack revealed that the British gran only one heartbreaking wish while on death row, explaining: “She has said she wants to die.”
Facing the grim prospect of death by firing squad, Lindsay herself previously admitted: “It won’t be a hard thing for me to face anymore.
“It’s not particularly a death I would choose but then again I wouldn’t choose dying in agony from cancer either.
“I do feel I can cope with it. But when it happens I don’t want my family to come. I don’t want any fuss at all. The one thing certain about life is no one gets out alive.”
indsay insisted she felt “blessed” because she’s seen her two sons grow up and has met her grandchildren. She added: “My attitude is ‘If you want to shoot me, shoot me. Get on with it’.”
Now, after a punishing two decades, Sandiford is set to return to the UK. As part of an agreement inked by the Indonesian government, Sandiford will be repatriated alongside fellow Brit Shahab Shahabadi.
An Indonesian official announced today (Tuesday, 21 October): “The practical arrangement will be signed today. The transfer will be done immediately after the technical side of the transfer is agreed.”
This decision follows Bali’s recent relaxation of its infamously stringent drug smuggling laws. The new legislation meant that Sandiford – having served more than a decade in prison with good behaviour – was a prime candidate for release.
An Indonesian government official stated that Sandiford is 68, although it’s believed she could be 69. A press conference is planned for their release later today.
Indonesia has recently released other smugglers serving similar sentences as the nation eases its notoriously harsh anti-drug laws. It’s also understood that Sandiford is so confident about her chances of being freed, she’s begun donating her clothes to fellow inmates.
Earlier this year, a source told the Mirror: “For a long time Lindsay was resigned to her fate, but now she’s dreaming of freedom. Foreign Office officials have spent a lot of time visiting her in prison, and they’re working hard to secure her freedom.”