The lawyers for accused Australian drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury have reached a plea deal with Colombian authorities that will see the 22-year-old spend six years behind bars.
As part of the deal, Sainsbury accepted the prosecution’s claim that she visited the capital Bogota for the express purpose of traveling back to Australia with nearly six kilograms of cocaine.
Until this point, Sainsbury had publicly maintained her innocence regarding the 5.8kg of cocaine found stashed in her luggage, claiming it had been placed there without her knowledge.
As part of the deal, Sainsbury reportedly had to provide the identities of those involved in the drug cartel which provided her the cocaine.
While both her legal team and prosecutors have agreed to the terms of the deal, which will also see her fined the equivalent of 450 months’ worth of Colombia’s minimum wage, the sentence is yet to be formally approved by a judge.
If she had not reached a plea deal and was found guilty at trial, Sainsbury could have faced a sentence of over twenty years in prison.
#BREAKING: Cassandra Sainsbury looks set to serve just six years in prison for smuggling cocaine. #9News pic.twitter.com/3b8S1BMsfc
— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) July 26, 2017
Source: The Advertiser / 9 News.
Photo: Colombian Police.
