02/10/2013

UK Smuggling Accused Appear Before Prosecutors For Second Time

Two UK women caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru have appeared before a closed hearing in Lima for the second time after their previous confessions were decided to have not contained enough information.

Michaella McCollum, of Dungannon, County Tyrone, and Melissa Reid, of Lenzie, near Glasgow, entered guilty pleas to snuggling charges last Tuesday.

The women, who face up to 15 years in jail, had hoped to secure reduced sentences in exchange for pleading guilty.

However, it was subsequently reported that prosecutors in Peru were unsatisfied with the information the women had given in their confessions, saying that more detailed information would be needed if reduced sentences were to be considered.

McCollum and Reid, both aged 20, appeared in court again yesterday but no details of what took place have been revealed.

According to a report from the AFP news agency, prosecutor Juan Mendoza would not say if the women had yet provided enough information to satisfy prosecutors.

The case continues.

(MH/CD)

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