MOTHER'S 'LIVING NIGHTMARE' ENDS AS DRUGS CHARGE BRITON IS FREED

The mother of a British woman jailed for drug smuggling in India told
yesterday of how she had woken up from a 'living nightmare' when she
heard that her daughter was to be freed.

The Bombay high court acquitted Daisy Angus, 26, a French-born British
citizen, of attempting to smuggle 10 kilos of hashish out of India to
Europe. She has been in prison since she was arrested by the Indian
authorities in November 2002, attempting to travel to Berlin with an
Israeli, Yoram Kadesh, whom she met on the internet.

At her trial last year she said that the bag belonged to Kadesh, but
he denied the claim and was acquitted. His whereabouts are unknown.
Angus, from Southbourne, West Sussex, was sentenced to 10 years'
imprisonment. Her father, John, died of leukaemia two years ago but
she was refused permission to return home for his funeral.

During her appeal hearing last Thursday, the court heard that Kadesh
and his brother were known drug dealers. Kadesh's KLM North-West
Airline ticket to Berlin had two baggage tags attached to it, one of
which was found in Angus's possession. Her defence team said Kadesh
offered to pay for her airline ticket if she would carry his bag in
return. When she had inquired about the contents of the bag, she was
told that the slabs of hashish were incense sticks.

'After nearly five years of litigation, we have finally got justice,'
said her mother, Nadine, who collapsed in the courtroom as the verdict
was read out.

Angus's family have expressed anger at the time it took for her case
to be heard, but Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials
Abroad, which campaigned for her release, said that this was not
unusual: 'The Indian justice system often involves lengthy delays
before the trial and during the case. It can take many years for an
appeal to be heard again.'