The punishment was much more severe than the 15 years in prison that had been demanded by prosecutors.
Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, wept as the sentence was given, and refused to speak to reporters upon returning to prison, covering her face with a scarf.
Earlier in the trial, Sandiford claimed that she had been forced to carry the narcotics into Indonesia by a group threatening to harm one of her children. A similar verdict is expected to be meted out to suspected accomplice, British man Julian Anthony Ponder in court today. Ponder is accused of receiving the drugs in Bali. It has been reported that the panel of judges concluded that Sandiford has “damaged the image of Bali as a tourist destination, and undermined government programs for the prevention of narcotics and illegal drugs”. We did not find any reason to lighten her sentence.
According to the Foreign Office, Sandiford is one of 12 other Britons currently facing the death penalty abroad.
Who is damaging the image of Bali???