Cassie Sainsbury was set to face her fate inside a Colombian court on Saturday, but could instead 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.
But while prosecutors are pushing for an adjournment of her case, according to 9 News, such a move could in fact be her ticket to freedom.
Accused drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury (pictured) was set to face her fate inside a Colombian court on Saturday, but could be one step closer to freedom thanks to an obscure legal loophole
The 22-year-old (seen her 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
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 then carried out on whether there is enough merit in the case to bring it before trial.
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.
But while prosecutors are pushing for an adjournment of her case, according to 9 News, 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)
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.
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