Two British nationals jailed for a £300,000 cocaine smuggling plot in Bali have been photographed checking in at a business class priority desk for their flight home, just four months after being sentenced.
From Death Row to Departure Lounge
Lisa Stocker, 40, and her partner Jon Collyer, 39, were seen at Denpasar International Airport on Tuesday 30 December, preparing to board flight QR963 to Doha. The couple, along with accomplice Phineas Float, 31, had initially faced the prospect of execution by firing squad under Indonesia's notoriously strict drug laws.
Instead, in August, a judge at Denpasar central court handed them prison terms of just one year. These sentences were then significantly reduced under laws granting reductions for Christmas and an independence day holiday, allowing for their early release and deportation.
The Angel Delight Cocaine Plot
The trio were arrested on 1 February after airport X-rays detected 992 grams of cocaine hidden inside 17 packets of Angel Delight dessert mix in their luggage. They had flown from the UK to Bali via Qatar.
Stocker and Collyer claimed they were unaware of the drugs, believing they were delivering British treats to a friend. Following their arrest, they cooperated with Indonesian police, acting as informants to help lure Float to an ambush at the Grand Mas Airport Hotel carpark on 3 February.
The court heard Float had agreed to participate in the plot for a reward of 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah – equivalent to a mere £22.50.
A Controversial Return Journey
Their departure from Bali has raised eyebrows, particularly the sight of them using the premium check-in counter. If travelling in business class, their seats would have cost at least £2,000 each.
A source told the Mirror: “It’s staggering they have been allowed to leave Bali already, given its stance on drug crime. But to see them checking into the premium counter is breathtaking.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed: “Three British nationals who were detained in Indonesia have now returned to the UK.”
Phineas Float was reportedly deported earlier, on 10 December, after being released from prison on 5 December.
A Pattern of Repatriation
This case follows the recent release of another British drug mule, Lindsay Sandiford, 69, in October after 13 years on death row. Sandiford was caught with £1.6m of cocaine in 2012.
Her release, alongside fellow Briton Shahab Shahabadi, was secured through a bilateral agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Indonesian officials stated Sandiford's detention would be transferred to the UK, meaning she faces further time behind bars at home.
The Foreign Office has declined to comment on whether Stocker and Collyer will face further custody upon their return to British soil.
