Colombia: Accused drug courier Cassandra Sainsbury, who could face up to 30 years in prison on drugs charges, is optimistic, her lawyer said, despite the first hearing of her trial being postponed today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Sainsbury was present in the court, but no translator was available because of a last minute problem. For this reason, her hearing came to an end and has now been postponed until September 26.
This was meant to have been the formal presentation of in-writing documents of accusation, the first step in the formal trial of the South Australian.
This is the first time that Ms Sainsbury has fronted court since August 10, when a senior Colombian judge rejected the deal struck between the prosecution and the defence that would have seen the 22-year-old serve a maximum of six years prison, instead of a potential 30 years.
Ms Sainsbury's lawyer Orlando Hernan, talking to Fairfax Media after the brief hearing, said that Ms Sainsbury was in good spirits.
"She's really good, She is very optimistic," he said.
Asked whether this was a set-back for the defence, Mr Hernan said that it was a good thing.
"This is good because they have to guarantee the rights of Cassandra absolutely. It's important that all of her legal rights are met. There needs to be someone there to explain the details of the case to her, so she knows what is going on."
