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25/11/2013
Peru Two 'Could Be Sentenced Before Christmas'
The 'Peru Two' could be sentenced before Christmas, one of the women's parents has claimed.
Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon, and Melissa Reid, also 20 and from Lenzie in Scotland, are currently awaiting sentencing in a prison in Peru after they were caught trying to smuggle £1.5m of cocaine out of the country earlier this year.
The pair pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in September.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Melissa Reid's mother, Debbie, revealed she had visited her daughter at Virgine de Fatima prison in Peru and the family was informed that a sentencing could happen before Christmas. They were also involved in discussions with a family lawyer to see when the two women may be able to return to their homes in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Melissa's father, William, said: "We understand the legal system in Peru doesn't move as fast as in the UK."
His wife Debbie added: "Getting the sentence will give us something to work towards. We're just hoping for the shortest possible sentence.
"There could be a shock coming but we're just hoping for the best."
Both Michaella and Melissa were stopped as they prepared to board a flight from Lima to Spain in August of this year. They initially denied the charges, claiming they had been forced to carry the drugs. Their pleas were later changed in the hopes of receiving a reduced sentence, but they were rejected, with anti-narcotics prosecutors saying the women had only admitted partial guilt for their actions.
(JP/CD)
Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon, and Melissa Reid, also 20 and from Lenzie in Scotland, are currently awaiting sentencing in a prison in Peru after they were caught trying to smuggle £1.5m of cocaine out of the country earlier this year.
The pair pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in September.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Melissa Reid's mother, Debbie, revealed she had visited her daughter at Virgine de Fatima prison in Peru and the family was informed that a sentencing could happen before Christmas. They were also involved in discussions with a family lawyer to see when the two women may be able to return to their homes in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Melissa's father, William, said: "We understand the legal system in Peru doesn't move as fast as in the UK."
His wife Debbie added: "Getting the sentence will give us something to work towards. We're just hoping for the shortest possible sentence.
"There could be a shock coming but we're just hoping for the best."
Both Michaella and Melissa were stopped as they prepared to board a flight from Lima to Spain in August of this year. They initially denied the charges, claiming they had been forced to carry the drugs. Their pleas were later changed in the hopes of receiving a reduced sentence, but they were rejected, with anti-narcotics prosecutors saying the women had only admitted partial guilt for their actions.
(JP/CD)
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