Bangkok, Tuesday.
BRITON Sandra Gregory, who faces the death penalty for drugs
trafficking, begged her travelling companion to tell the truth about her
heroin consignment, the Thai Criminal Court in Bangkok was told today.
In a dramatic confrontation at Bangkok's Don Muang airport, Sandra,
28, pleaded with Robert Lock, also 28, to be honest about the heroin
which was found when Thai Customs conducted a body search.
But Lock, from Cambridge told Sandra, from Sowerby Bridge, West
Yorskhire, to keep quiet and keep the pact (of secrecy) the Thai court
was told.
Customs Officer Wuth Rengpudungthong said: ''Sandra was very
co-operative from the beginning but she would not sign a written
statement because, as it was written in Thai, she did not know what it
said.
''We were waiting at the airport for a man called Robert Frank Lock.
When he checked in, the ticket officer gave us a sign and we approached
him and his girl companion to go for an interview.
''We searched them but found nothing. I accompanied them both to the
aircraft. But while I was waiting at the boarding gate I received a call
on my phone to say that an X-ray which had been processed showed the
girl had four capsules in her rectum.
''Miss Sandra and Mr Lock were then taken back. She was searched by a
woman officer, and the capsules were removed.''
Officer Wuth said that in a subsequent interview at which Lock was
present, Miss Gregory turned to Lock, and said: ''Robert please tell
them the truth.''
''Robert Lock replied, 'You are not keeping the deal.
'You are making a mistake. It's your fault'.''
In a court aside, Gregory, who shortly after her arrest confessed to
being a casual heroin user, said: ''My name is mud in England for
grassing on Bob, but I was terrified at the time.''
Both Lock and Gregory face charges of buying heroin, posession of
heroin, and exporting with the intention to traffic in heroin.
They were arrested after a tip off from British Customs.
No mention was made in today's proceedings about an English girl
called Ruth Billingham, who was decribed as Lock's real girlfriend and
who was present and booked onto the same aircraft bound for Tokyo in
February this year.
As the court adjourned lawyer Putru Kuvanonda representing Lock, said
he would be asking why no reference was made to her presence at the
arrest and her subsequent release.
Sandra Gregory has lived in Thailand since 1990. When she ran out of
cash she started work teaching English to Thai students. Her parents
live in Aberdeen. Robert Lock worked in Thailand selling jewellery. The
case was adjourned until November 15th.
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