54 replies to this topic

[ExpandMyMind]

Quote

A 56-year-old British grandmother has been sentenced to death by firing squad in Indonesia for drug trafficking.
Lindsay Sandiford was arrested at Bali's airport in May last year after 4.8kg (10.6lb) of cocaine was found in the lining of her suitcase during a routine customs check.
Sandiford, whose last UK address was in Gloucestershire, said she was coerced into bringing the drugs to the island.
Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire has condemned the sentence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21137649

Barbaric. I mean if a country has tough drugs laws, that's their business, but the death penalty? By firing squad? Though with it being Indonesia, this is hardly surprising considering their numerous acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Should have given her 15 years - life. I mean it was only 5kg - they go through more than that on a Friday night in Glasgow.

I hope the Foreign Office fight for her, idiot that she is.

Edited by ExpandMyMind, 22 January 2013 - 02:02 PM.

[TheLastLazyGun]

ExpandMyMind, on 22 January 2013 - 02:01 PM, said:

Should have given her 15 years - life. I mean it was only 5kg

You've got to be joking, right?

Edited by TheLastLazyGun, 22 January 2013 - 02:12 PM.

[wolfknight]

She did the crime! Even if she was forced to. Sorry but it you break the laws of that country you have to pay the price.

[ExpandMyMind]

TheLastLazyGun, on 22 January 2013 - 02:09 PM, said:

You've got to be joking, right?

How so? You think death is an equitable sentence?

Oh, and the prosecution recommended 15 years, so how is my reasoning flawed?

Edited by ExpandMyMind, 22 January 2013 - 02:34 PM.

[TheLastLazyGun]

ExpandMyMind, on 22 January 2013 - 02:33 PM, said:

How so? You think death is an equitable sentence?

I think she very much deserves the death sentence for such a heinous crime.  Those drugs would have ruined hundreds, if not thousands, of people's lives had the smugglers been successful in their operation.

And I think Britain should follow suit.  If Britain had the death penalty for drug smuggling maybe we'll see a lot less people in Britain having their lives ruined by such drugs.  Britain, with its soft, liberal stance on drugs, can learn a lot from Indonesia and those other South East Asian countries which have the death penalty for drug smuggling.

If she didn't want to be sentenced to death she shouldn't have smuggled cocaine into a country which has the death penalty for that crime.

Edited by TheLastLazyGun, 22 January 2013 - 02:52 PM.

[Sky Scanner]

TheLastLazyGun, on 22 January 2013 - 02:50 PM, said:

I think she very much deserves the death sentence for such a heinous crime.  Those drugs would have ruined hundreds, if not thousands, of people's lives had the smugglers been successful in their operation.

And I think Britain should follow suit.  If Britain had the death penalty for drug smuggling maybe we'll see a lot less people in Britain having their lives ruined by such drugs.  Britain, with its soft, liberal stance on drugs, can learn a lot from Indonesia and those other South East Asian countries which have the death penalty for drug smuggling.

If she didn't want to be sentenced to death she shouldn't have smuggled cocaine into a country which has the death penalty for that crime.

Only, all they will do is execute a mule. The death penalty over here would never effect those that run these operations, because as usual the real players stay well clear, and the addicts, mentally challenged, and those caught in cycle of fear from dealers vs the law will be the ones carrying the can.

[ExpandMyMind]

TheLastLazyGun, on 22 January 2013 - 02:50 PM, said:

I think she very much deserves the death sentence for such a heinous crime.  Those drugs would have ruined hundreds, if not thousands, of people's lives had the smugglers been successful in their operation.

And I think Britain should follow suit.  If Britain had the death penalty for drug smuggling maybe we'll see a lot less people in Britain having their lives ruined by such drugs.  Britain, with its soft, liberal stance on drugs, can learn a lot from Indonesia and those other South East Asian countries which have the death penalty for drug smuggling.

If she didn't want to be sentenced to death she shouldn't have smuggled cocaine into a country which has the death penalty for that crime.

Britain should follow suit of a whole host of Third-World, barbaric countries? You want to move backwards; to descend back from a more civilised society, into one where we have legalised murder? You think it'll make even the slightest dent in our drug trade? It might stop 1% of drugs coming into our country that enter through the idiotic ideas of individual people out to make a few quid, but do you think drugs barons with millions of pounds invested will be deterred in the slightest? Don't make me laugh.

These particular drugs would have had little, if not no noticeable impact on the people of Indonesia. The people who would have received them would, for the most part, have already been addicted or using, from the drugs that actually flood the country in exponentially larger amounts through boats and trucks and planes. And it is cocaine, not heroin. Unless it was planned to be altered to resemble crack, then how on earth would it ruin thousands of lives? Do you even have a clue about cocaine? Do you understand how many hundreds of thousands of perfectly functional British citizens, from the lower classes to professionals, recreationally use the stuff every weekend, without ruining lives?

Gotta love the ill-informed - uninformed - tough-love stance that some people adopt regarding the matter of drugs. All while most of them enjoy a drink. Hilarious.

Edited by ExpandMyMind, 22 January 2013 - 03:25 PM.

[little_dreamer]

What you think about her statement that she was only smuggling drugs because her children were in danger?

[TheLastLazyGun]

ExpandMyMind, on 22 January 2013 - 03:13 PM, said:

Britain should follow suit of a whole host of Third-World, barbaric countries?

I see nothing barbaric whatsoever in taking whatever measures are necessary to put an end to drug smuggling.

And when people commit a capital offence the vast majority of the time they KNOW they have committed a capital offence.  It's not like they weren't warned beforehand.  They know what would happen to them if they are caught.  I have no sympathy with them whatsoever.  They should not have been committing a capital offence in the first place.

Edited by TheLastLazyGun, 22 January 2013 - 03:46 PM.

[ExpandMyMind]

little_dreamer, on 22 January 2013 - 03:35 PM, said:

What you think about her statement that she was only smuggling drugs because her children were in danger?

I think it's entirely possible and that this sort of thing does happen (this is not to say it is true though). I think that her having no history of drug crimes in a small way might back up her claim (as would the British police checking that she has no family members or acquaintances with similar ties to the underworld), but I also think that it would be near-impossible for her to prove, so as a defence goes, it's extremely shaky at best and any lawyer would have advised her to claim the same thing. It's simply her word as evidence, which is not enough.

I also think that if someone is forcing you into such a thing, then you should go to the authorities.

But you might not have been asking me

Edited by ExpandMyMind, 22 January 2013 - 03:58 PM.

[TheLastLazyGun]

little_dreamer, on 22 January 2013 - 03:35 PM, said:

What you think about her statement that she was only smuggling drugs because her children were in danger?

I think it's a load of codswallop.

[ExpandMyMind]

TheLastLazyGun, on 22 January 2013 - 03:44 PM, said:

I see nothing barbaric it taking whatever measures are necessary to put an end to drug smuggling.

Well, first, it wouldn't put an end to anything. As is quite clearly shown by the numerous countries who employ such tough laws yet have worse problems than Britain regarding drug smuggling and addiction! So this, with respect, is just complete nonsense.

And second, of course it is barbaric to end someone's life. This is called murder, and whether or not it is an individual carrying it out or a government, the same morals apply. There is a reason that the only countries you see on these lists...:

http://en.wikipedia....rug_trafficking

http://www.guardian....countries-world

...Are, bar one or two (which is at times debatable), backwards, Third-World countries with generally barbaric governments, laws and judicial systems. You seriously want Britain to be on the same list? This is actually quite shocking to hear from someone who lives in a modern society.

Edited by ExpandMyMind, 22 January 2013 - 04:06 PM.

[keithisco]

I think everyone knows the risks of Drug Smuggling in Indonesia... no-one can be so ignorant. and 5 Kgs would destroy 10's of thousands of lives after it has been cut and distributed.

I somehow doubt that the woman caught was not hoping for a big payday, and she would have got it had she not been caught!!

Sorry, but if you totally disregard another Nations Laws then you have to suffer the consequences. No sympathy here, because I have seen what drugs have done to to the UK's youth, and it is frightening.

[ExpandMyMind]

keithisco, on 22 January 2013 - 04:27 PM, said:

I think everyone knows the risks of Drug Smuggling in Indonesia... no-one can be so ignorant. and 5 Kgs would destroy 10's of thousands of lives after it has been cut and distributed.

10s of thousands of lives? 5000 grams of cocaine would? What on earth are you talking about?

[Bavarian Raven]

Sorry but she committed a crime and the punishment is clear for said crime in this country. It's her own fault and no one else's.