Sunday 28 August 2011

Schapelle Corby and Renae Lawrence have received cuts to their jail terms | The Australian

Schapelle Corby and Renae Lawrence have received cuts to their jail terms

schapelle corby renae lawrence

Convicted Australian drug traffickers Renae Lawrence and Schapelle Corby have had their Bali jail sentences cut. Picture: Satya Made Source: Supplied

SCHAPELLE Corby has had her sentence reduced by five months, an Indonesian prison official has said, to coincide with Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.

It had been expected that Corby and the Bali Nine's Renae Lawrence would be granted remissions, with the announcement to be made during celebrations at Kerobokan Prison in Bali.

Corby and Lawrence had their sentences reduced by five and six months respectively, Kerobokan's governor, Siswanto, told AFP.

"The official letter has not been handed out due to a technical matter but it's confirmed that Corby and Renae receive sentence cuts," he said.

Their sentences were reduced by similar amounts on Independence Day last year, and by 45 days at Christmas.

It's the fifth time Corby and sixth time Renae have received sentence reductions, Siswanto said, adding the cuts total 22 months for Corby and 29 months for Lawrence.

Corby, 34, from the Gold Coast, remained holed up in her cell yesterday as other inmates took part in Independence Day celebrations, including Lawrence who put on a positive face despite still facing at least 12 years behind bars.

"Everything is good," Lawrence said as she walked from her cell to the prison yard.

Lawrence, 33, from Newcastle, NSW, was sentenced to life for her part in the 2005 plot to smuggle more than eight kilos of heroin from Bali to Australia but has so far had more than two years shaved from her term.

Corby, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail after she was caught at Bali's international airport in 2004 with 4.1kg of marijuana in her bodyboard bag, has another 11 years to serve after having already had her prison term cut by almost two years.

However, both women could be released sooner if granted parole for which they would be eligible after serving at least two thirds of their original sentences.