British gran on Death Row declared 'Queen' by inmates who say she enjoys a pampered life behind bars
Being imprisoned can be one of the most traumatic experiences that someone can go through, even more so when it happens overseas.
But surprisingly, this isn't the case for everyone - some adapt and somehow thrive in the rough environment - but you wouldn't expect that person to be someone's gran.
Lindsay Sandiford is a British grandmother that has been imprisoned at the infamous Kerobkan jail in Bali, Indonesia, for the last 11 years.
Advert
She was sentenced to death after being caught attempting to smuggle a large amount of cocaine into the country in her suitcase, £1.6 million worth, to be exact.
Though she has been waiting for her death date for years with no hope of an appeal, a recent law change may just work in her favour.
According to the change, the death sentence could become a life sentence instead as she has managed 10 years of good behaviour.
She has become somewhat of an authoritative figure in the jail, with fellow inmates and staff at the prison giving the 67-year-old preferential treatment.
It is said that she even enjoys medium-rare steak dinners on death row, while recent photos reveal that she teaches other inmates how to use knitting needles, as reported by The Mirror.
Known as the 'grandmother' by those within the walls of the prison, a former cellmate has revealed all on Sandiford's time behind bars so far.
Her cellmate was a local that was jailed for corruption, spending two years with the Brit, and described her as 'the grandmother of the prison, the Queen.'
She explained: “She is the only one who can order steak from the prison cafe.
"She has it medium-rare, normally once a week.
"Everyone loves her, she teaches people how to knit, she hosts regular classes, and shows them how to look after themselves," it was revealed.
However, the cellmate also explained that though there is no date set for the execution, Sandiford is scared of dying, but has accepted it in her time behind bars.
But it's not all positive, as other inmates labelled the gran as 'foul-mouthed' and 'antagonistic', purposely driving cellmates out of her room.
Another woman who spent six months with the 'Queen' of death row revealed more about the convict.
“Lindsay is aggressively protective of herself," she began.
“That’s the way she has learned to cope. She spends 99% of her time in her room.
"They have activities, like nail painting or hair styling, but Lindsay does none of them.
"There was a Ukrainian girl who was put in her cell, but the girl requested to move.
“The way I read her is that she’s trying to survive. She started getting privileges, so all the girls slept on the floor but she got a mattress."
Supporters would bring Sandiford chocolate and vegetables, attributing her special treatment to her age and the fact that she comes from the West.
"And then she got cooking utensils because she didn’t like the prison food. "Lindsay has a sweet tooth, she likes 70% dark chocolate," the ex-cellmate explained.
The cellmate also damningly claimed: "But being in Kerobokan is very difficult. If you go in as a smart person, you come out half as smart.
"There’s nothing to fire the neutrons while you’re in jail.”
Joshua Nair