Plea over Bali death penalty

A grandmother, originally from Redcar and sentenced to death by firing squad for smuggling cocaine into Bali, has notified Indonesian officials that she intends to appeal against the ruling.

56-year-old Lindsay Sandiford was convicted last week of taking 10.6lb (4.8kg) of the drug into the country.

She was accused by the court of damaging the image of Bali and received the sentence despite prosecutors only asking for a 15-year jail term.

A court official confirmed his office had received the appeal request through the head of Kerobokan Penitentiary where Sandiford is being held.

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has released a statement about the representation of Lindsay Sandiford, a grandmother from Teesside, who is facing the death penalty in Bali.

The Government is to be challenged over its failure to fund legal representation for the 56-year-old.

She has seven days to launch an appeal, but currently has no legal representation.

The Government is to be challenged over its failure to fund legal representation for a British woman sentenced to death for drug smuggling in Bali, a law firm has said.

Lindsay Sandiford, 56, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was given the death penalty by a court last week for taking 10.6lb (4.8kg) of cocaine on to the island.

Ms Sandford has seven days to launch an appeal, but has no legal representation.

Law firm Leigh Day said it is seeking a judicial review of the Government's decision not to pay the £2,500 legal expenses needed.

See also:

FCO: Legal representation not provided for British nationals overseas

Shock death sentence for British woman in Indonesia