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Aussie drug smuggler gets life
13/02/2006 10:26 - (SA)
Denpasar - An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced an Australian woman to life in prison for drug smuggling, issuing its first conviction in the so-called Bali nine trial.
Judge Putu Wignya told Denpasar district court on the resort island of Bali that Renae Lawrence, 28, was guilty of exporting first class narcotics and put aside a request by prosecutors that she be sentenced to a 20-year term.
Lawrence appeared to be calm during the reading of the verdict, but confused after the sentence was handed down and was seen repeatedly consulting her translator.
"Our client is a bit confused, although the translator had already told her that it was a life sentence, she asked us once again what the sentence was," said her lawyer Hakosan Sihombing.
Lawrence appeared numb as she was taken away from the court room.
"Forced "
Another judge on the three-man panel, Ngurah Astawa, said there was no evidence to back the defendant's claim that she had been forced to carry the drugs under the threat that members of her family would be killed.
Hartawa said: "It has not been proven that there was an element of force in this case, meaning that it was not proven that the defendant undertook her actions because she was forced to."
In her defence plea, Lawrence had said she had been forced to comply with the demand of the ring leaders because of threat made by one of the kingpins that her family would otherwise be killed.
Lawrence was discovered with 2.7kg of heroin strapped to her body when she was arrested with four other Australians at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport while waiting to board a flight back home last April.
Four other gang members were arrested at a nearby hotel on the same day.
Nine Australians are on trial for involvement in the ring, accused of attempting to traffic more than 11kg of heroin back to Australia.
Another panel of judges is due to hand down its verdict against defendant Scott Rush later on Monday. Prosecutors have sought a life sentence against him.
- AFP
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