Cumbrian man handed Bali prison sentence for drug offence
A British man has been handed a 10-month prison sentence in Indonesia for drug offences.Thomas Parker, 32 and from Workington in Cumbria, was found guilty of failing to report drug-related crimes to the police in Bali.Parker was arrested after being found in possession of a package, which was addressed to him, and contained more than 1kg (2.3lbs) of MDMA, also known as ecstasy.Prosecutors had called for Parker to be sentenced to one year's imprisonment but judges handed him a lighter sentence because they said he had shown admission, remorse and an acknowledgment of guilt for failing to report the incident.
The 10-month prison term will be reduced to reflect the time he has already spent in detention since his arrest in January.The sentence is significantly lighter than the maximum for drug-related offences in the country, which can include the death penalty.Through his legal counsel, Parker said he had accepted the decision of the Denpasar District Court and would not appeal against the verdict.
However, his lawyer, Edward Pangkahila had argued his client should have been found not guilty."We think 10 months is still too harsh," Mr Pangkahila said, adding: "He should've been released, as the evidence against him wasn't strong. "But what else can we do; he's already been detained."Honestly, he's deeply hurt."
Prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara is considering whether to appeal the court's decision to hand Parker a shorter sentence. He has seven days to decide whether to appeal against the ruling.
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