A British bowls-playing pensioner faces spending Christmas behind bars in one of Chile's most notorious prisons after suffering major setbacks in his fight for freedom.
From Somerset to South American Prison
William "Billy Boy" Eastment, a 79-year-old from Milborne Port in Somerset, has been detained in Santiago 1 Penitentiary since May after authorities allegedly discovered £200,000 worth of crystal meth hidden in his luggage.
The Welsh-born fishing and bowls enthusiast was arrested on May 26 after landing on a flight from Mexico. Chilean police intercepted him at Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez international airport where they claim to have found five kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride concealed in a suitcase with a false bottom.
Failed Escape Attempts and Health Concerns
Eastment's latest bid for freedom collapsed dramatically when a judge's decision to grant him house arrest was overturned within just 24 hours. Prosecutors successfully challenged the move, arguing the pensioner must remain in custody despite medical assessments warning of severe risks to his health.
The retired heavy goods vehicle and bus fitter has already battled two bouts of pneumonia while imprisoned. Defence documents obtained by the Daily Mirror insist the danger to his life is "real and imminent."
In another blow to his case, prosecutors have now sought to extend the initial 120-day investigation period, meaning Eastment faces even longer in custody before formal charges are brought and a trial can begin.
The Elaborate Scam That Led to Prison
New details have emerged about Eastment's claim that he was the victim of an elaborate international scam. According to Chilean police official Sergio Paredes, head of the airport's Anti-Narcotics Division, Eastment alleged he had been deceived by someone he met in Mexico.
"He alleged he had been deceived," Paredes stated after the May arrest. "We understand he was given the suitcase by someone he hadn't met before, who contacted him at the airport in Mexico before he boarded his flight, and he claimed he had been promised a prize of £3.7 million for delivering the suitcase to its final destination."
Court documents reveal Eastment's insistence that he was duped by a woman calling herself Carolina, who he claims posed as an International Monetary Fund official. His lawyer explained that Eastment believed he needed to travel to Auckland, New Zealand to complete inheritance paperwork for a relative he thought had died.
"This trip would have included a stopover in Mexico City where this woman, calling herself Carolina, apparently approached his hotel and handed him the documentation he had to present in New Zealand, as well as a suitcase supposedly containing 'gifts' with a locked padlock on it," the legal submission stated.
Family Reveals History of Gullibility
Eastment's younger sister Jennifer, 78, speaking from her home in Llantarnam near Cwmbran, expressed little surprise at her brother's claims of being deceived. Describing him as "gullible," she told the Mirror: "If someone gave him a story like that about needing something delivered and he would get paid for it, he wouldn't think about drugs or anything like that."
She revealed her brother had previously fallen victim to another scam where he lost £20,000 of his life savings to a fraudster claiming to be her in trouble in Istanbul. "He sold his car, gathered all the money he could, and sent it to her. Funnily enough, he never heard from her again," she added.
While initial reports suggested Eastment could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, Chilean legal specialists now indicate a sentence closer to five years is more likely, particularly if he cooperates in plea negotiations.
Prosecutors have secured permission to extract data from Eastment's mobile phone and Samsung tablet as they continue investigating his contacts prior to the arrest. The pensioner now faces the bleak prospect of remaining in Santiago's notorious prison complex as his legal battle continues to unfold.
