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| Cassie Sainsbury: Colombian judge defers decision on plea bargain | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Adelaide woman Cassie Sainsbury’s plea bargain with her prosecutors has been suspended by a Colombian judge and the hearing set for another date. | |
| Sainsbury had told the Colombian court she feared her family would be killed if she refused to smuggle cocaine for a drug ring. | |
| But the judge said those comments raised questions about the legality of the deal the 22-year-old had struck with prosecutors to serve just six years instead of at least 20 in return for information on the ring. | |
| There was a lot of “complexity in the development of this plea bargain” and he wanted more time to consider it. | |
| Sainsbury told a court in Bogota on Thursday morning that she “didn’t want to take any package anywhere” but did so under coercion. | |
| “I was told that my family and partner would be killed,” she said when asked what would happen if she didn’t agree. | |
| Hoowever, reporters in the courtroom said her comments that she did not willingingly take part in the smuggling attempt have upset prosecutors who may change the deal. | |
| 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. |
| Her mother Lisa Evans and fiance Scott Broadbridge were in the Colombian capital for the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, local time. | |
| Sainsbury’s sister told Channel Seven in Adelaide the plea deal was the best outcome they could have hoped for. | Sainsbury’s sister 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. | 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. | “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, Dutton said. |