Three North East Women Face Drug Charges Abroad: US, Georgia and Bali
Three women from the North East of England are imprisoned overseas on drug smuggling charges. Their cases span the US, Georgia and Indonesia's Bali.
Three North East Women Held Abroad on Drug Smuggling Charges
Three women from the North East of England are currently imprisoned overseas facing drug smuggling charges, chroniclelive.co.uk reports. Kim Hall, from Middlesbrough, and Bella May Culley, from Billingham, were both arrested at airports within the past year — Hall in the United States, Culley in Georgia. A third woman, Lindsay Sandiford, a grandmother originally from Redcar, has spent more than a decade on death row in Bali after being convicted in 2013.
Lindsay Sandiford: Over 12 Years on Death Row in Bali
Sandiford was apprehended on 19 May 2012 upon arrival in Bali from Bangkok. Border officials found approximately 10lb of cocaine in her luggage, estimated to be worth £1.6 million. She was sentenced to death on 22 January 2013 and has since been held at Kerobokan prison.
During her trial, Sandiford, who had relocated to India before her arrest, claimed she had been coerced by a criminal gang that threatened her family. She later altered her account, telling officers a British antiques dealer had recruited her. She agreed to assist police in a sting operation to catch him, but was nonetheless charged and convicted of drug trafficking.
After more than 12 years on death row, there are now reports that Sandiford may have renewed hope of release. A source told The Mirror that she had begun distributing her belongings to fellow inmates, encouraged by Indonesia's shift towards more lenient drug laws and the release of other prisoners with comparable convictions. "For a long time Lindsay was resigned to her fate, but now she's dreaming of freedom," the source said. "Foreign Office officials have spent a lot of time visiting her in prison and they're working hard to secure her freedom."
Last month it was also revealed that Sandiford had enjoyed an emotional reunion with her grandchildren, sharing what were described as "cuddles and kisses" after years of separation.
Kim Hall: Awaiting Trial in Chicago After Alleged Cocaine Seizure
Kim Hall, a 29-year-old beautician from Middlesbrough, was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in August last year. Homeland Security officers reportedly found 43kg of cocaine concealed in two suitcases as she travelled from Mexico to Manchester.
Hall was initially released on bail with an electronic monitoring tag. Prosecutors in Cook County were alerted after she allegedly booked a flight out of the country, and a judge subsequently rescinded her bail and remanded her in custody. Claims also emerged that she had turned herself in to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in February before the booking came to light, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
In an interview with ITV's This Morning last November, Hall described how two British men she had met on holiday in Portugal offered her a free trip to Mexico. She has previously alleged she was threatened at gunpoint and coerced into carrying the drugs. Her family in the UK have defended her, saying "the only thing she's guilty of is being stupid and being naïve."
Under US law, Class X Felony drug offences of this scale can carry sentences of between 15 and 60 years. Her next scheduled court appearance is 27 May.
Bella May Culley: Teenager Detained in Georgia Facing Potential Life Sentence
Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, had been reported missing in Thailand before reappearing in Georgia. She was arrested at Tbilisi International Airport on 11 May after being accused of importing 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish into the country.
Culley is being held at Women's Prison No. 5, a female-only facility approximately 45 minutes from Tbilisi. She declared to a court that she is pregnant. This week she met her new lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, for the first time since her arrest. Salakaia told the BBC that Culley appeared to be in "good health" but did not show all the characteristics typically expected of an adult.
A conviction under Georgia's judicial code for drug trafficking of this nature could result in a lengthy prison term, though the precise sentence has not yet been confirmed. The prosecutor has requested 55 days for evidence gathering, which could push any trial back to July at the earliest.
All three cases remain ongoing. Sandiford has been convicted; Hall and Culley are still awaiting trial.
Source: The Sun