Skip to content

Lawyer of Brits facing Bali drug charges speaks out

Zac Sherratt & Chrissie Reidy
BBC News, South East
BBC A group of people wearing orange prison suitsBBC
Lisa Stocker (left), Jon Collyer (middle) and Phineas Float (right) were paraded before the media in Indonesia

Three British nationals detained in Bali on drug smuggling charges have begun meeting with their legal team as they face the prospect of years in a foreign prison if convicted.

Balinese authorities have alleged Jon Collyer, Lisa Stocker and Phineas Float, who are thought to be from East Sussex, attempted to traffic cocaine valued at roughly £300,000.

They say the group had 994g of cocaine disguised as food packets in their luggage.

Speaking exclusively to BBC South East on Tuesday, their lawyer, Sheiny Pangkahila, said, if convicted, they could each face between 15-20 years in an Indonesian prison.

A woman wearing a white shirt sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle
Sheiny Pangkahila gave a brief interview to the BBC

There is also a chance they could receive the death penalty, with 90 foreigners currently on death row in Indonesia.

Ms Pangkahila said she first met with the group on Friday and has further meetings planned because there are "so many things with the investigators" in Bali.

International criminal lawyer Anna Bradshaw, from Peters and Peters Solicitors, told the BBC the prospect of a short sentence in such cases is "fairly remote".

Ms Bradshaw added that the chance of early release or parole in a foreign jurisdiction is "very different" to in the UK.

Mr Collyer, Ms Stocker and Mr Float, who were handcuffed and paraded in front of Indonesian media, will soon face the judicial process there - one of the most severe in the world when it comes to drugs.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.