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Roger and Sue Clarke jailed for cruise drugs smuggling | Roger and Sue Clarke jailed for cruise drugs smuggling |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A British couple have been jailed for eight years by a Portuguese court for drug smuggling on a cruise ship. | A British couple have been jailed for eight years by a Portuguese court for drug smuggling on a cruise ship. |
Roger and Sue Clarke, both 72, were caught last year while attempting to smuggling 9kg (20lbs) of cocaine with a street value of £1m. | Roger and Sue Clarke, both 72, were caught last year while attempting to smuggling 9kg (20lbs) of cocaine with a street value of £1m. |
The couple, from Bromley in London, were on the Marco Polo which was sailing from the Caribbean to Europe. | The couple, from Bromley in London, were on the Marco Polo which was sailing from the Caribbean to Europe. |
A raid on their cabin as the ship entered Lisbon found the Class A drugs in the lining of four suitcases. | A raid on their cabin as the ship entered Lisbon found the Class A drugs in the lining of four suitcases. |
Judge Margarida Alves dismissed the couple's story they were duped into bringing the cases for a friend. | |
As she sentenced them to eight years, Mrs Clarke began crying, while her husband turned to her and said "we will be 80 when we get out". | As she sentenced them to eight years, Mrs Clarke began crying, while her husband turned to her and said "we will be 80 when we get out". |
The judge said she was determined not to let Portugal become a gateway to Europe for drugs. | The judge said she was determined not to let Portugal become a gateway to Europe for drugs. |
In court | |
By Damian Grammaticas, Europe correspondent, Lisbon | |
As the presiding judge delivered her verdict the two British pensioners stood holding hands in the little courtroom in Lisbon's Campus de Justicia. | |
"Eight years for drug trafficking" the judge said. Roger Clarke, visibly shaken, lifted his hands to his head and with tears in his eyes he turned to his wife. | |
Sue Clarke began crying and the judge said the couple's story, that they had been given empty suitcases in St Lucia to bring to the UK for a friend, wasn't credible. | |
She said their prior conviction for smuggling cannabis to Norway should have made them suspicious of such a request. | |
"You are not drug users," Judge Margarida Alves said. "You clearly did this because of the high profits you could make." | |
As he left court Roger Clarke turned to me saying "the truth needs to get out. Come and see me in prison and I will tell you". |