A British couple who faced execution in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle nearly a kilogram of cocaine hidden in dessert mix have been unexpectedly freed and flown back to the UK.
From Death Row to Departure Lounge
Lisa Stocker, 40, and her partner Jonathan Collyer, 39, were arrested at Bali's international airport on 1 February after a routine X-ray scan detected suspicious packages in their luggage. The packages contained 992 grams of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £300,000, concealed inside 17 sachets of Angel Delight powder.
The pair, who had travelled from the UK via Qatar, initially told Indonesian police they believed they were simply delivering British treats to a friend and were unaware of the drugs. Despite Indonesia's notoriously strict narcotics laws, which often carry the death penalty for trafficking, prosecutors did not seek capital punishment.
A Swift Sentence and Sudden Release
In August, a judge at Denpasar Central Court sentenced Stocker and Collyer to just one year in prison after they admitted smuggling charges. This term was then dramatically reduced under local laws granting sentence reductions for holidays, including Christmas and Independence Day.
This legal leniency meant the pair were free to check in for flight QR963 from Bali to Doha at 6.50pm on Tuesday 30 December, before connecting to a UK-bound service. An exclusive photograph shows the couple at a premium check-in counter at Denpasar International Airport. A source close to the case expressed astonishment at their early release and travel arrangements, stating it was a "breathtaking" outcome and an "incredible Christmas gift."
Accomplice and Wider Context of UK-Indonesia Cases
Their accomplice, Phineas Float, 31, was arrested days after the couple when he arrived at a hotel car park to collect the drugs. The court heard Float agreed to participate for a reward of just 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah (approximately £22.50). The Mirror understands Float was deported back to Britain in early December.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed: "Three British nationals who were detained in Indonesia have now returned to the UK."
This deportation follows the recent release of another British drug mule, Lindsay Sandiford, 69, in October after she spent over 13 years on death row. Sandiford was caught with £1.6 million of cocaine in 2012. Her release, alongside another Briton, Shahab Shahabadi, was secured through a bilateral agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
