Peru Two: Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid sentenced to six years in prison

Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid have been sentenced to six years and eight months, after being found guilty of smuggling Cocaine.

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by Closer staff |
Published on

Michaella, from County Tyrone, and Melissa, from Glasgow, were sentenced in the past hour in a closed court in Lima, Peru.

The pair were caught with the Class A drug – thought to be worth £1.5 million – when they tried to board a flight to Spain from Lima airport, last August.

The girls, both aged 20, initially claimed they had been kidnapped and had been forced to smuggle the drugs at gunpoint.

The Cocaine - thought to be worth £1.5 million - was stashed inside packets of food
The Cocaine - thought to be worth £1.5 million - was stashed inside packets of food

However, they changed their plea to guilty, in September, to secure a lesser sentence handed down today. If the pair had continued with their not guilty plea, they could have faced up to 15 years in jail.

Michaella went to Ibiza in July to work as a dancer and a club host

The girls, who met while working in bars and clubs in Ibiza, have been awaiting sentencing at the Virgen De Fatima jail, in the Peruvian capital, where they have been sharing a squalid cell with 38 other women.

The prison is thought to be one of the toughest in the country, where the conditions are cramped and filthy, and outbreaks of diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis, are rife.

Melissa was staying in San Antonia, Ibiza, close to where Michaella was living with friends

Throughout their incarceration, both girls have attempted to keep positive however in recent weeks, Melissa has admitted she's started to prepare herself for the worst.

In a diary entry, sent to a national newspaper, she wrote:

“I have prepared myself for the worst . . . I think of how I will be in 15 years . . . and yes it does still scare me.”

This note from Melissa was posted on Facebook, thanking people for their support

It is not yet know which jails the girls will be sent to and if they will be kept together.

We will keep you updated on this story as it develops.

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