The British grandmother facing
execution in Bali has given her first interview from death row –
defiantly declaring she is ready to die by firing squad.
Speaking from her cell in the notorious Kerobokan prison, Lindsay Sandiford told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I would rather have the death sentence than a life sentence. I don’t want to get old and decrepit in here . . . at least a bullet is quick.’
The 56-year-old’s extraordinary plea came after her appeal against her sentence was rejected on Monday, a decision which has been roundly condemned as ‘bizarre and unjust’.
Drugs mule Sandiford was arrested last May after flying to Bali from Bangkok carrying 10.6lb of cocaine, worth £1.6 million.
In the interview – conducted
through intermediaries at the prison – she said: ‘I’ve got arthritis
now. What will I be like in ten years’ time when I can’t walk?
‘Sometimes I think, “Let them get on with it.” I have had a lot of fun in my life. I’ve been to a lot of places, done a lot of things and I’ve met a lot of interesting people.
‘I’ve got no regrets. I could be dying of cancer or something horrible and prolonged.’
After her arrest Sandiford co-operated with police in a sting operation that led to the capture of the conspiracy’s alleged ringleaders.
But while she was sentenced to death in January, three other Britons – Julian Ponder, 43, Paul Beale, 40, and Ponder’s partner Rachel Dougall, 38 – who were said to have organised the shipment, were jailed only for up to six years.
Trafficking charges against Ponder and Beale were dropped and they were sentenced to six and four years respectively for possession of drugs, while Dougall is due to walk free next month after a one-year term for failing to report a crime.
Sandiford’s appeal to Bali’s
High Court against her sentence was rejected despite written pleas from
the Foreign Office and former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord
Macdonald, who described the discrepancies in sentencing as
‘unfathomable’.
In a bizarre twist, just days after the ruling, the original trial judge was found dead from a suspected heart attack. Amser Simanjuntak, 55, was said to have collapsed at his home as he prepared to go to work on Friday.
Sandiford, who is originally from Redcar, Teesside, passes her time on death row – where sweltering temperatures reach 95F – knitting jumpers for friends and family back home. And despite the crushing High Court rejection, she says she doesn’t want any sympathy.
‘What I did was wrong and I should be punished for it,’ she said. ‘But I cooperated with the police, and I should get the lowest sentence. Legally, morally – any way you look at it, it is just wrong.
‘When I cooperated with the police, they told me I was going into witness protection and that Interpol would look after my boys. They just lied to me.
‘Telling the truth doesn’t help here because you just get the death penalty. I helped the Indonesian police. The next person who gets caught isn’t going to say anything.’
Ironically, the High Court
ruling cites as a reason for upholding the death penalty the fact that
Sandiford was involved in an international drug smuggling operation with
other expatriates – yet it makes no mention of the light sentences
given to her co-conspirators.
And shockingly, Sandiford’s family in Britain learnt of the rejection of her appeal on television news in the UK before she or her lawyer knew, thanks to the decision being leaked by court officials to local journalists.
‘The whole world knew before I knew,’ she said. ‘I got a message from my son Eliot saying, “They are all b******s.” I replied, “What are you on about, son?” and he said, “Haven’t your heard mum?”
‘When I spoke to him, he was crying his heart out and my family was distraught. It was all over the morning news in the UK but no one had thought to tell me.’
Later on Monday, Sandiford was sent a brutally frank text message from the British embassy’s local representative in Bali that read: ‘I have to bring bad news. Your appeal has been refused by the Bali High Court. They confirmed it when I made a call to them this afternoon. FYI, it’s all over the news.’
The lonely scene inside the cell where Sandiford received the message was in stark contrast to the chaotic January day when the judge handed down the death sentence.
Recalling the day, she described how those around her appeared to be more upset and shocked than she was. ‘The judge read out the decision in Indonesian and my translator didn’t tell me what the sentence was. I thought I had got 15 years [the prosecution’s recommendation],’ she said.
‘There were newspaper reports
afterwards saying that I cried and that I shouted “no, no, no” when the
sentence was delivered. In fact, it was the prosecutor who was crying
and it was my sister Hilary who shouted out. As I went out of the court,
the prosecutor had his arm around me and he was pushing reporters away
and he kept saying, “I’m so sorry.” It was a BBC reporter who told me I
had the death penalty.
‘I just thought, “Oh bloody hell. Have I really got death?” It was only later on that I thought, “How did that happen?” ’
In the days that followed, Sandiford was prescribed Valium and sleeping pills by the prison doctor at Kerobokan.
‘What I couldn’t stand was the look on people’s faces,’ she said. ‘Nobody could look at me and no one knew what to say to me.
‘I wanted someone to make a joke. That’s what I really wanted. But people had no idea what to say or they say completely the wrong thing.’
Sandiford initially decided she would not appeal against her sentence, saying she could not face appearing in court again. She eventually agreed to appeal after her family pleaded with her.
‘The court is like a circus. It’s ritual humiliation. I really did not want to appeal. I explained to my son and he said, “Please Mum don’t do that.” After we talked he said, “I want you to appeal but I’ll support you whatever you think is best.” ’
Speaking from her cell in the notorious Kerobokan prison, Lindsay Sandiford told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I would rather have the death sentence than a life sentence. I don’t want to get old and decrepit in here . . . at least a bullet is quick.’
The 56-year-old’s extraordinary plea came after her appeal against her sentence was rejected on Monday, a decision which has been roundly condemned as ‘bizarre and unjust’.
Drugs mule Sandiford was arrested last May after flying to Bali from Bangkok carrying 10.6lb of cocaine, worth £1.6 million.
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While Sandiford was sentenced to death in
January, three other Britons who were said to have organised the
shipment, were jailed only for up to six years
‘Sometimes I think, “Let them get on with it.” I have had a lot of fun in my life. I’ve been to a lot of places, done a lot of things and I’ve met a lot of interesting people.
‘I’ve got no regrets. I could be dying of cancer or something horrible and prolonged.’
After her arrest Sandiford co-operated with police in a sting operation that led to the capture of the conspiracy’s alleged ringleaders.
But while she was sentenced to death in January, three other Britons – Julian Ponder, 43, Paul Beale, 40, and Ponder’s partner Rachel Dougall, 38 – who were said to have organised the shipment, were jailed only for up to six years.
Trafficking charges against Ponder and Beale were dropped and they were sentenced to six and four years respectively for possession of drugs, while Dougall is due to walk free next month after a one-year term for failing to report a crime.
The High Court ruling cites as a reason for
upholding the death penalty the fact that Sandiford was involved in an
international drug smuggling operation with other expatriates
In a bizarre twist, just days after the ruling, the original trial judge was found dead from a suspected heart attack. Amser Simanjuntak, 55, was said to have collapsed at his home as he prepared to go to work on Friday.
Sandiford, who is originally from Redcar, Teesside, passes her time on death row – where sweltering temperatures reach 95F – knitting jumpers for friends and family back home. And despite the crushing High Court rejection, she says she doesn’t want any sympathy.
‘What I did was wrong and I should be punished for it,’ she said. ‘But I cooperated with the police, and I should get the lowest sentence. Legally, morally – any way you look at it, it is just wrong.
‘When I cooperated with the police, they told me I was going into witness protection and that Interpol would look after my boys. They just lied to me.
‘Telling the truth doesn’t help here because you just get the death penalty. I helped the Indonesian police. The next person who gets caught isn’t going to say anything.’
Dr Fadillah Agus, Sandiford's lawyer, holds the
papers showing Bali High Court's decision about the death penalty
outside Kerobokan prison, Bali
And shockingly, Sandiford’s family in Britain learnt of the rejection of her appeal on television news in the UK before she or her lawyer knew, thanks to the decision being leaked by court officials to local journalists.
‘The whole world knew before I knew,’ she said. ‘I got a message from my son Eliot saying, “They are all b******s.” I replied, “What are you on about, son?” and he said, “Haven’t your heard mum?”
‘When I spoke to him, he was crying his heart out and my family was distraught. It was all over the morning news in the UK but no one had thought to tell me.’
Later on Monday, Sandiford was sent a brutally frank text message from the British embassy’s local representative in Bali that read: ‘I have to bring bad news. Your appeal has been refused by the Bali High Court. They confirmed it when I made a call to them this afternoon. FYI, it’s all over the news.’
The lonely scene inside the cell where Sandiford received the message was in stark contrast to the chaotic January day when the judge handed down the death sentence.
Recalling the day, she described how those around her appeared to be more upset and shocked than she was. ‘The judge read out the decision in Indonesian and my translator didn’t tell me what the sentence was. I thought I had got 15 years [the prosecution’s recommendation],’ she said.
Sandiford believes the reason her co-accused
received reduced charges and light sentences was that they paid money to
officials through their lawyers
‘I just thought, “Oh bloody hell. Have I really got death?” It was only later on that I thought, “How did that happen?” ’
In the days that followed, Sandiford was prescribed Valium and sleeping pills by the prison doctor at Kerobokan.
‘What I couldn’t stand was the look on people’s faces,’ she said. ‘Nobody could look at me and no one knew what to say to me.
‘I wanted someone to make a joke. That’s what I really wanted. But people had no idea what to say or they say completely the wrong thing.’
Sandiford initially decided she would not appeal against her sentence, saying she could not face appearing in court again. She eventually agreed to appeal after her family pleaded with her.
‘The court is like a circus. It’s ritual humiliation. I really did not want to appeal. I explained to my son and he said, “Please Mum don’t do that.” After we talked he said, “I want you to appeal but I’ll support you whatever you think is best.” ’
Sandiford has maintained since her arrest that
she agreed to carry the cocaine to Bali only after her sons' lives were
threatened by the drugs gang