Cassie Sainsbury has arrived in court ahead of a crucial hearing which could see her released from custody.
If Sainsbury’s drug trafficking case in adjourned until next month she could be set free due to Colombian law limiting court cases for those in custody to 90 days.
Despite having a plea deal withdrawn after repeatedly changing her story, the 22-year-old could avoid a potential 30 year jail term thanks to the legal loophole.
The newly-appointed judge hearing the case granted a request from Sainsbury’s lawyer to hearing to all media, Nine News reported.
Cassie Sainsbury (pictured) has arrived in court ahead of a crucial hearing which could see her released from custody
If Sainsbury’s (pictured) drug trafficking case in adjourned until next month she could be set free due to Colombian law limiting court cases for those in custody to 90 days
Accused drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury (pictured) arrived at a Colombian court on Saturday, and could be one step closer to freedom thanks to an obscure legal loophole
The 22-year-old is accused of attempting to smuggle almost 6kg of cocaine into Australia and faces up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty of drug trafficking.
Prosecutors have a number of options, including a new plea deal, but if they push for an adjournment of her case such a move could be her ticket to freedom.
According to Colombian law, a person must be released from jail under the statute of limitations if their case is not finalised in the courts within a certain period of time – in this case 90 days.
They are then ‘paroled’, with an assessment carried out on whether there is enough merit in the case to bring it before trial.
The 22-year-old (seen here being escorted to court in August) is accused of attempting to smuggle almost 6kg of cocaine into Australia and faces up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty of drug trafficking
Sainsbury’s drawn-out case has been before the courts for 70 days already, based on her plea hearing on August 10.
That would mean the former personal trainer from Adelaide could be released from El Buen Pastor prison before Christmas, after spending over six months locked up.
Sainsbury was arrested in April after she was caught with 5.6 kilograms of cocaine at Bogota Airport, hidden inside 18 separate packages of headphones.
Prosecutors are pushing for an adjournment of her case such a move could in fact be her ticket to freedom
According to Colombian law, a person must be released from jail under the statute of limitations if their case is not finalised in the courts within a certain time – in this case 90 days (pictured is Cassie in Colombian prison)
She initially told prosecutors she had no idea the headphones were filled with cocaine, but later said she had been blackmailed by an international drug syndicate.
In a tell-all interview with 60 Minutes earlier this year she claimed the drug ring had sent her WhatsApp images and texts of her family – saying her loved ones would be killed if she failed to obey their orders.
But in a sensational twist, Sainsbury said she could not access the evidence to potentially clear her name, as she had forgotten the password to her phone.
Sainsbury was arrested in April after she was caught with 5.6 kilograms of cocaine at Bogota Airport, hidden inside 18 separate packages of headphones
She initially told prosecutors she had no idea the headphones were filled with cocaine, but later said she had been blackmailed by an international drug syndicate