Lindsay Sandiford: Gran On Death Row Appeals

Lawyers representing a British woman on death row in Bali have lodged an appeal against her sentence.

Lindsay Sandiford, 56, was sentenced to death by firing squad by a court in Bali in January for taking £1.6m of cocaine on to the island last year.

On Monday Sandiford lost an appeal over the UK Government's refusal to fund her legal challenge against her death sentence.

Even though she did not have enough funds, with the deadline on Tuesday approaching, her lawyers decided to lodge the appeal anyway.

But, after organising a fundraising drive through the Just Giving website, she now has the £8,000 she needs to pay for legal representation so the appeal can go ahead.

Her cause was boosted massively by a mid afternoon donation of £1,800 from a man calling himself Victor Leversha.

Sandiford was in a race against time to raise the money to take her case to Indonesia's Supreme Court in Jakarta as the deadline expires at midnight Tuesday local time (5pm GMT).

Her lawyer, Fadillah Agus, said on Tuesday morning: "I lodged an official notification to appeal to the Supreme Court through the district court in (Bali's capital) Denpasar."

The lawyer said a document would be submitted to the country's supreme court in Jakarta, on the neighbouring island of Java, within 14 days outlining the grounds for her appeal.

After that the Supreme Court would likely make a decision at a closed hearing in two to four months.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had refused to fund her case because it said it was against Government policy.

The FCO reiterated the UK's opposition to the death penalty and said it had repeatedly made representations to the Indonesian government about the case.

Her execution by firing squad had been scheduled for May 7, if she did not appeal.

If the Supreme Court also rejects her appeal, she can then seek a judicial review of the decision from the same court.

After that, only the president can grant her a reprieve. But experts say those found guilty of serious offences are rarely reprieved.

Balinese police said Sandiford was at the centre of a drugs-importing ring involving three other Britons.

But the grandmother, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, claimed she was forced to transport the drugs to protect her children whose safety was at stake.

She received the death sentence despite prosecutors asking only for a 15-year jail term, after she was accused of damaging the image of Bali.

Sandiford told those who have donated money towards her appeal that she has been humbled by the experience as she deals with "the ultimate emotional rollercoaster ride".

In a message sent to supporters, she said: "I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and caring. I've always been an independent person and I hate not to be able to pay my way.

"So for me this is a very humbling experience having to rely on the kindness of strangers and (I'm) very deeply touched.

"I know I have been difficult to deal with as the situation I am in leads to the ultimate emotional rollercoaster ride. (The charity Reprieve) have been brilliant."

She also thanked UK charity Prisoners Abroad for "quietly" supporting her with funds for drinking water and food.