Latest news with #Sandiford
Daily Record
24-05-2025
- Daily Record
Drugs mule Lindsay Sandiford shares 'cuddles and kisses' with grandkids in Bali jail
Sandiford has spent over a decade on death row and is awaiting execution for smuggling cocaine. Lindsay Sandiford shared "cuddles and kisses" with her grandchildren for the first time in years at a Bali prison Drugs mule Lindsay Sandiford who has spent over a decade on death row has had a heart-wrenching visit from her family in a Bali prison, it is understood. The pensioner - who has spent more than 12 years awaiting execution for smuggling cocaine - is said to have shared "cuddles and kisses" with her grandchildren for the first time in years, reports The Mirror. She was caught with 10lb of cocaine when she arrived in the Indonesian island from Bangkok in 2012. It was reported earlier this year that cocaine trafficker Sandiford is so convinced she will walk free that she has been giving her clothes to other inmates. Her newfound optimism comes following a change in the law in Indonesia. The country has recently freed other smugglers who had been serving similar sentences as it relaxes its tough anti-drug laws. She has been held in Bali's hellhole Kerobokan jail since 2013 for bringing £1.6million of cocaine into the country. A source previously told The Mirror: "For a long time Lindsay was resigned to her fate, but now she's dreaming of freedom. Foreign Office officials have spent a lot of time visiting her in prison and they're working hard to secure her freedom." Last month, it was reported that former legal PA Sandiford, who previously lived in Redcar, is said to have shared "cuddles and kisses" with her grandchildren for the first time in years. A prison source said: "She was happy and all went well. She met her grandchildren. Normally, these visits are held away from the normal meeting area but still have walls and iron bars with one door. "There's always one or more guards who are stationed within earshot of the meeting. But she was allowed to hold her family and have cuddles and kisses." Sandiford moved to India in 2012. She was arrested as she arrived in Bali from Bangkok on May 19, 2012, after cocaine was found in her luggage. Originally she insisted she had been forced to carry the Class A drugs by a criminal gang which had threatened to hurt her family if she refused. However, she then changed her story when she was told she would receive the death penalty if convicted of drug trafficking. She told officers she had been asked to carry the drugs by a British antiques dealer. Sandiford agreed to take part in a police sting to catch him, but she was still later charged with drug trafficking. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She was sentenced to death on January 22, 2013. Two years later, she was given a temporary reprieve when Indonesia halted executions - but it wasn't to last. During her time in prison Sandiford has knitted various items which she sells to try and raise money for her legal fees. New legislation means Sandiford's death sentence could be converted into a life prison term as she has managed more than 10 years' good behaviour behind bars. Now prison insiders say Sandiford is praying for similar treatment and believes she will be spared a trip to Nusa Kambangan, known as "Execution Island". Lawyers could then argue she should be returned to the UK, where she is likely to go free on the basis of time served in Indonesia, it has been reported.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
'Right-wing extremists' planned terrorism
Three men who believed a race war was imminent were planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues, a trial has heard. Christopher Ringrose, 34, from Staffordshire, Marco Pitzettu, 25, from Derbyshire, and Brogan Stewart, 25, from West Yorkshire, were "right-wing extremists" preparing to use firearms, explosives and bladed weapons in attacks, a Sheffield Crown Court jury was told on Wednesday. They were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their group. All three deny a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Ringrose also denies manufacturing a prohibited weapon. Opening the case against the men, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the jury that Mr Ringrose, from Cannock, Mr Pitzettu, from Mickleover, and Mr Stewart, from Tingley, near Leeds, had acquired, or were trying to acquire, a "wide variety of weapons", including swords, knives, axes, spears and crossbows. They had also gathered information on explosives and firearms and their preparations had included trying to make a 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm, he said. Mr Sandiford stated: "The prosecution say these three defendants were right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis." The defendants followed a cause which embraced an admiration for Adolf Hitler, white supremacy, a "hatred towards black and other non-white races" and glorification and admiration for mass killers who had targeted black and Muslim communities, he told the court. The men all held a "belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races", according to Mr Sandiford. The prosecutor said that at the time of their arrest in February 2024 "all three were involved in making preparations for acts of terrorism". The defendants had formed a group in January 2024 with "like-minded extremists" who wanted to "go to war for their chosen cause", he added. Mr Sandiford said the group included three officers working undercover and police had intervened when it became clear the defendants had identified potential targets and there was a threat of an "imminent attack". He showed jurors a post said to have been made by Mr Stewart on a group called The National Socialist Movement of the United Kingdom on social media platform Telegram in which he was alleged to have said: "Nazis wanted what's best for the white people." The post also contained a racist reference to then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Sandiford said. The trial continues. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- BBC News
'Right-wing extremists' planned terrorism
Three men who believed a race war was imminent were planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues, a trial has Ringrose, 34, from Staffordshire, Marco Pitzettu, 25, from Derbyshire, and Brogan Stewart, 25, from West Yorkshire, were "right-wing extremists" preparing to use firearms, explosives and bladed weapons in attacks, a Sheffield Crown Court jury was told on were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their three deny a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Ringrose also denies manufacturing a prohibited weapon. 'Race war' Opening the case against the men, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the jury that Mr Ringrose, from Cannock, Mr Pitzettu, from Mickleover, and Mr Stewart, from Tingley, near Leeds, had acquired, or were trying to acquire, a "wide variety of weapons", including swords, knives, axes, spears and had also gathered information on explosives and firearms and their preparations had included trying to make a 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm, he Sandiford stated: "The prosecution say these three defendants were right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis."The defendants followed a cause which embraced an admiration for Adolf Hitler, white supremacy, a "hatred towards black and other non-white races" and glorification and admiration for mass killers who had targeted black and Muslim communities, he told the men all held a "belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races", according to Mr Sandiford. 'Chosen cause' The prosecutor said that at the time of their arrest in February 2024 "all three were involved in making preparations for acts of terrorism".The defendants had formed a group in January 2024 with "like-minded extremists" who wanted to "go to war for their chosen cause", he Sandiford said the group included three officers working undercover and police had intervened when it became clear the defendants had identified potential targets and there was a threat of an "imminent attack".He showed jurors a post said to have been made by Mr Stewart on a group called The National Socialist Movement of the United Kingdom on social media platform Telegram in which he was alleged to have said: "Nazis wanted what's best for the white people."The post also contained a racist reference to then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Sandiford trial continues. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Telegraph
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Three ‘Nazis' plotted destruction of synagogues and mosques in preparation for race war
Three 'Nazis' who believed a race war was imminent planned terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues, a court has heard. Christopher Ringrose, 34, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Brogan Stewart, 25, were ' Right-wing extremists ' preparing to use firearms, explosives and a range of bladed weapons in their attacks. They were arrested when security services believed an attack could be imminent after undercover officers infiltrated their group, Sheffield Crown Court was told on Wednesday. Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said the defendants had acquired or were trying to acquire a 'wide variety of weapons' including swords, knives, axes, spears and crossbows as well as gathering information on explosives and firearms. He said the preparations they were making included 'taking steps to complete the manufacture' of a 3D printed semi-automatic firearm. Mr Sandiford said: 'The prosecution say that these three defendants were Right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis, and they supported the National Socialist movement in the UK, such as it is or indeed was.' He said the defendants followed a cause that embraced an admiration for Adolf Hitler, white supremacy, a 'hatred towards black and other non-white races', and glorification and admiration for mass killers who have targeted the black and Muslim community. Race war The jury heard the trio all held a 'belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races'. Mr Sandiford said that at the time of their arrest in February 2024 'all three were involved in making preparations for acts of terrorism in furtherance of their political, racial or ideological causes'. He said they were gathering equipment such as riot shields, body armour and gas masks in readiness for a race war. The prosecutor told the jury that the defendants formed a group called Einsatz 14 in January 2024, with 'like-minded extremists' who wanted to 'go to war for their chosen cause'. Mr Sandiford explained Einsatz 14 included three undercover officers and the police intervened in February 2024 when it became clear the defendants had identified potential targets and there was a threat of an 'imminent attack'. Mr Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire; Mr Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire; and Mr Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, deny a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Mr Ringrose also denies manufacturing a prohibited weapon. The trial continues.
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
British neo-Nazis planned attack as part of 'race war', prosecutors say
March 5 (Reuters) - Three British right-wing extremists planned to collect an arsenal of weapons, including a 3D-printed gun, and carry out an attack as part of a "race war", prosecutors said at the start of their trial on Wednesday. Brogan Stewart and Marco Pitzettu, both 25, and Christopher Ringrose, 34, are alleged to have been preparing an act of terrorism, targeting mosques or synagogues, when they were arrested in February 2024. The trio are also each charged with two counts of collecting information which may be useful to someone preparing an act of terrorism, while Ringrose is charged with manufacturing a component for a 3D-printed FGC9 firearm. They have pleaded not guilty and are standing trial at Sheffield Crown Court, where prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford told jurors the three defendants were "right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as national socialists or Nazis". Sandiford said the trio expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and perpetrators of notorious terrorist attacks, as well as hatred for non-white people, especially Muslims and immigrants. "It was their belief that there must soon come a time when there would be a race war between the white and other races," Sandiford added. He said that, among hundreds of messages, Stewart posted a poll in a group on social media platform Telegram asking "how do we execute the prime minister", who was then Rishi Sunak. In a separate Facebook group, Stewart said: "Need to fire up some gas chambers and purge this country of the shit. Make England great again." The defendants formed a Telegram group called "Einsatz 14" in January 2024, which Sandiford said was "a group for action rather than words". Three other members of the group were undercover police officers, the prosecutor added. Stewart, Pitzettu and Ringrose had identified potential targets for a violent attack "and it was that imminent threat that led the police to intervene and the defendants being arrested", Sandiford said. The trial is expected to conclude next month.
