1 day ago
5
Nathan Bevan
BBC News, South East
EPA
Phineas Float, Jon Collyer and Lisa Stocker (left to right) had faced the heaviest punishment under Indonesian law
Three British nationals have avoided the death penalty for smuggling cocaine disguised as packets of Angel Delight into Indonesia.
Lisa Stocker, 39, and her husband Jon Collyer, 38, were arrested at Bali's international airport in February after being caught with 994g of the Class A drug.
Phineas Float, 31, was due to receive the packages and was arrested a few days later.
All three defendants, who are from Hastings and St Leonards in East Sussex, were told by a judge that they would only serve a 12 month sentence.
Minus the time they have already served, it means the trio could be eligible for release by early 2026.
Stocker, Collyer and Float could have faced the death penalty – the heaviest punishment for taking part in a drug transaction under Indonesian law.
Collyer and Stocker were caught with 17 packages of cocaine, with a value of roughly £300,000.
The BBC's US partner CBS previously quoted the AFP news agency as saying Balinese authorities believe the cocaine was hidden in packets of Angel Delight, a powdered dessert mixture.
Indonesia hands out severe punishments for drug smuggling and has previously executed foreigners, but it has upheld a temporary halt on the death sentence since 2017.
Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto's administration previously moved to repatriate several high-profile inmates, all sentenced for drug offences, back to their home countries.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting three British Nationals detained in Indonesia and are in contact with local authorities."
