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Cassie Sainsbury to serve six years in Colombian jail after judge accepts plea deal Cassie Sainsbury to serve six years in Colombian jail after judge accepts plea deal
(35 minutes later)
Adelaide woman Cassie Sainsbury will serve six years in jail after a Colombian judge accepted a plea deal she has made on her drug-smuggling charges.Adelaide woman Cassie Sainsbury will serve six years in jail after a Colombian judge accepted a plea deal she has made on her drug-smuggling charges.
The 22-year-old has agreed to reveal the identities of others involved in the cocaine ring in return for a lighter sentence. She had been facing at least 20 years in prison.The 22-year-old has agreed to reveal the identities of others involved in the cocaine ring in return for a lighter sentence. She had been facing at least 20 years in prison.
Sainsbury was caught at Bogota’s international airport in April, trying to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine inside 18 separate packages of headphones.Sainsbury was caught at Bogota’s international airport in April, trying to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine inside 18 separate packages of headphones.
Sainsbury made no comment to waiting media as police pushed her into the court around 5am on Thursday, Sydney time. Sainsbury made no comment to waiting media as police pushed her into the court in Bogota around 5am on Thursday, Sydney time.
New Corp says court authorities have confirmed a deal has been done but depends on whether or not the court is willing to accept it. Her mother Lisa Evans and fiance Scott Broadbridge were in the Colombian capital for the sentencing hearing on Wednesday local time (Thursday morning Australian time).
She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years but the plea deal could cut that to as little as three years, News Corp says. Sainsbury’s sister told Channel Seven in Adelaide the plea deal was the best outcome they could have hoped for.
Sainsbury’s sister has told Channel Seven in Adelaide the plea deal was the best outcome they could have hoped for.
But Kahla Sainsbury said her sister’s life would never be the same, even after just a few years in prison.But Kahla Sainsbury said her sister’s life would never be the same, even after just a few years in prison.
“I don’t think there’s be much she can do when she comes back home,” she said. “It’s going to be hard for her to get a job. It’s going to be hard for her to do anything ... Because she’s going to be labelled as ‘Cocaine Cassie’.”“I don’t think there’s be much she can do when she comes back home,” she said. “It’s going to be hard for her to get a job. It’s going to be hard for her to do anything ... Because she’s going to be labelled as ‘Cocaine Cassie’.”
The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said the case served as another warning to Australians travelling overseas.
“People need to abide by the laws of that country. If not, they will face serious consequences,” he told Seven on Thursday.
The government provided consular assistance to Sainsbury, but did not fund her legal case, Mr Dutton said.