Firing squad fears as Brit trio face death penalty in $400K drug smuggling case in Indonesia
Family and friends fear for the safety of three Britons locked up in Indonesia over an alleged cocaine smuggling plot.
Two of the trio were nabbed on the vacation island of Bali with almost $405,000 of cocaine stashed in powdered dessert mix, authorities said, while the third was held a few days later.
All three - aged 38, 39, and 31 and from southern England - could now face the death penalty, leaving their loved ones 'very worried' and in 'deep shock.'
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Jon Collyer, 38, and Lisa Stocker, 39, were arrested at Bali's international airport in February after the drugs were found stashed inside sachets of Angel Delight, according to Balinese authorities.
The pair appeared in court in Bali this week alongside Phineas Float, 31, who was allegedly due to receive the packages and was arrested a few days later.
Convicted drug traffickers, especially those caught with large quantities, have in the past been executed by firing squad in Indonesia - including foreign nationals.
If the quantity is large but not enough for the death penalty, life in prison is a common sentence.
On Friday the families and friends of the three Britons wept as they spoke of their 'horror' at learning of the arrests and the penalty their loved ones could face.
Jon's father Julian Collyer said: 'I'm in deep shock, to be honest. I'm very, very worried as any father or parent would be. I'm concerned about the court case and just very worried.'
The retired graphic designer, who lives in East Sussex, said he had spoken to his son from prison in Bali but it was the first time in three weeks they had spoken.
'I don't want to talk about anything at the moment because I don't want to jeopardize the court hearing. Anything I say could be misconstrued so I just want to stay quiet for the time being.'
A family member of Lisa Stocker, who would not be identified, wept as she told of her fear for her relative.
She said: 'She's just a mom. Her kids are going to be desperate without her. It doesn't bear thinking about. I'm so shocked and I can't sleep at night for thinking what might happen to her.'
Sobbing, she continued: 'There are some seriously evil people in this world who take advantage of people less fortunate and I think that's what has happened here. I'm in bits. I can't say any more.'
Jon's friend Dean, 39, said: 'I'm still in total shock. I didn't even know he and Lisa had gone to Bali. It's an absolute mess and I'm really worried about them both.
'Lisa has got kids, three I think, and what are they going to do if their mom is banged up [jailed].
'I was horrified when I heard about it. It's a nightmare. I can't believe they'd be so stupid to do something like that and I hope they're released soon.'
It is understood Balinese officers halted the couple at the X-ray machine after finding 'suspicious' items in their suitcases.
They were pulled to a separate area, where staff found the narcotics sealed in blue plastic 'Angel Delight' sachets in Collyer's luggage.
More cocaine was found in seven plastic bags in his partner's suitcase.
It is alleged that Collyer and Stocker were caught with 17 packages of cocaine in total, with a value of $400,500.
Angel Delight is a powdered dessert mixture that was popular in the 1960s and 70s in Britain.
A former neighbor and friend of the Stocker family said: 'I can't believe it. I'm in shock. Gosh, I feel for the family. They were my neighbors for many years and they were nice.'
Jeannie, who would not give her last name, said: 'They were a big family but we got on well. Lisa was nice. I can't believe they'd be involved in something like this.'
The heaviest punishment for taking part in a drug transaction is the death penalty under Indonesian law.
However, the Indonesian government has paused the death penalty since 2017 and the country's president Prabowo Subianto has in recent months repatriated several high-profile foreign nationals convicted of drug offences back to their home countries.
Frenchman Serge Atlaoui returned to France in February after Jakarta and Paris agreed a deal to repatriate him on 'humanitarian grounds' because he was ill.
In December, Indonesia took Mary Jane Veloso off death row and returned her to the Philippines.
It also sent the five remaining members of the 'Bali Nine' drug ring, who were serving heavy prison sentences, back to Australia.
According to Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, 96 foreigners were on death row, all on drug charges, before Veloso's release.
However, Collyer, Stocker and Float are only three of numerous Brits detained overseas on drug charges.
Last month a British former flight attendant was accused of smuggling $1.6 million of super-strength cannabis into Sri Lanka.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, from south London, was arrested in Colombo after police discovered 46 kg of 'Kush' - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase.
She had just arrived in the Sri Lankan capital on a flight from Bangkok in Thailand. She was arrested at Bandaranaike Airport and taken into custody on Monday, May 11.
She is facing up to 25 years locked in a hellhole Sri Lankan jail - but she has insisted she has been set up.
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'The contents of her home address in Hallgate, Cottingham, is strong evidence of the nature of her drugs business. The amount, type and value of drugs found at her home were substantial. The drugs alone were street valued at £33,600. This is sustained drug dealing.' During the 2023 hearing, Saleema Mahmood, mitigating, said that Stafford was dealing cannabis but claimed that her involvement in Class A dealing came about due to her association with a person from Liverpool. She argued that evidence of any Class A dealing was extremely limited and came from two sets of messages. The lawyer claimed there was an element of naivety and exploitation in Stafford's involvement and she had little influence on those above her in the chain. Stafford also said that her family was in the habit of keeping large amounts of cash at home, rather than in a bank, and that she was entrusted to look after it for others as she was seen as being a 'responsible' person who could be 'trusted' with money. 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