Corby's judge offers little hope

19:43 AEST Fri Apr 29 2005
 

Schapelle Corby's emotional plea to Indonesian judges to be set free may have fallen on deaf ears.

Corby, facing life in jail for alleged marijuana smuggling, on Thursday, read a prepared statement to a Bali court declaring her innocence and pleading to be allowed to go home.

There was no immediate translation of Corby's appeal, but it is understood one was delivered to the three-judge panel later.

Chief judge Linton Sirait said he now knew what Corby said, but offered little hope to the Gold Coast beauty student and her supporters.

"Not enough - he or she has to prove he or she is not guilty," he told the Nine Network through a translator.

"Every inmate would say I'm not guilty.

"I'm still looking for something that can be related to the law."

In an ominous sign for Corby, the Indonesian judge leading Schapelle Corby's trial has issued an ominous warning over drug offences by sentencing another foreigner to life in prison for heroin dealing.

John Gabrielle was caught in Bali last August with nearly 1kg of the same drug, but Sirait rejected prosecutors' demands he be executed.

Judge Linton Sirait, the head of the three-judge panel hearing Corby's case, convicted Gabrielle - alias Mpedi Nyane Big Boy - after police testified that he had been found with 906g of heroin.

It is the second life sentence handed down by Sirait against a foreign drug offender this week.

Gabrielle's co-accused Martin Christopher Akujobi, also a South African, was jailed on Monday.

Reading out his verdict against Gabrielle, the judge said the Botswana-passport holder from Cape Town in South Africa had been spared execution by firing squad because he had no previous drug convictions and was young enough to reform his ways.

He had also been "polite" during his trial, the judge said.

"The accused has been proven legally guilty of dealing category one drugs," Sirait said.

Both heroin and marijuana are considered category one drugs under Indonesian law.

News of the sentence raised anxiety among Corby's relatives and supporters a day after she made an emotion-charged personal plea to Sirait in the Denpasar District Court to let her go free.

Prosecutors have demanded Corby be sentenced to life for allegedly trying to bring 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali.

The three judges, who are not bound by the prosecutors' life sentence recommendation, are expected to deliver a verdict for her next month.

Corby's Balinese brother-in-law Wayan Widiartha said the Corby family was disturbed by the development.

"We are all concerned about what the court will decide for Schapelle."

"Hearing this news does not help."