Jon Collyer, Lisa Stocker and Phineas Float caught with nearly 1kg of cocaine at Bali airport – as Indonesia prepares firing squad for drug smugglers
THE families of three Britons facing execution by firing squad in Indonesia are in “shock” and worried for their safety after the trio were caught smuggling £300,000 worth of cocaine hidden in Angel Delight dessert packets.
Jon Collyer, 38, and his partner Lisa Stocker, 39, were arrested at Bali International Airport after eagle-eyed customs officers discovered nearly a kilogram of cocaine cunningly concealed within sachets of the beloved British pudding powder.
Their alleged accomplice Phineas Float, 31, who was waiting to receive the deadly haul, was caught in a dramatic police sting operation just days later – and now all three face the ultimate punishment under Indonesia’s notoriously harsh drug laws.
The East Sussex trio, who had allegedly successfully smuggled cocaine into Bali TWICE before being caught on their third attempt, are now languishing in Indonesian cells as their terrified families back home grapple with the horrifying reality that their loved ones could face a firing squad.
The Moment Their World Fell Apart
On February 1, what should have been a routine arrival at Bali’s bustling international airport turned into a nightmare for couple Collyer and Stocker.
As they approached the X-ray machines, customs officers noticed something suspicious about the food items in their luggage. What followed was a discovery that would seal their fate.
Hidden among their belongings were:
- 10 sachets of Angel Delight in Collyer’s suitcase
- 7 more sachets in Stocker’s luggage
- A total of 993.56 grams of pure cocaine
- Street value: 6 billion rupiah (approximately £300,000)
The cocaine had been meticulously concealed within the innocent-looking dessert packets – a British childhood favourite that would now forever be associated with their potential death sentences.
The Sting That Caught The Third Man
Two days after the airport arrests, Indonesian police launched a carefully orchestrated sting operation to catch the alleged recipient of the drugs.
Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, was arrested in a hotel parking area in Denpasar after Collyer and Stocker – now working with police – handed over the cocaine in a controlled delivery that sealed his fate.
All three defendants hail from the seaside towns of Hastings and St Leonards in East Sussex, where shocked neighbours and friends are struggling to comprehend how their community members ended up facing Indonesia’s death row.
‘This Wasn’t Their First Time’
In a shocking revelation that has devastated their families‘ hopes for leniency, Indonesian authorities claim this was NOT the trio’s first smuggling attempt.
Ponco Indriyo, Deputy Director of the Bali Police Narcotics Unit, dropped a bombshell at a February press conference: “The group successfully smuggled cocaine into Bali on TWO previous occasions before being caught on their third attempt.
This damning allegation suggests a pattern of criminal behaviour that could seal their fate in a country with zero tolerance for drug trafficking.
The Death Penalty Looms
Indonesia’s approach to drug smugglers is brutally simple: execution by firing squad.
The statistics paint a chilling picture:
- 530 people currently on death row in Indonesia
- 96 of them are foreign nationals
- Most are there for drug-related crimes
- The last executions were in July 2016
Their lawyer, Sheiny Pangkahila, pulled no punches when speaking exclusively to the BBC: “If convicted, they could each face between 15-20 years in an Indonesian prison. There is also a chance they could receive the death penalty.”
From England to Death Row Via Qatar
Prosecutors revealed the alleged smuggling route that led to their downfall:
- The drugs originated in England
- Transit through Doha International Airport in Qatar
- Final destination: Bali’s international airport
- Street distribution through local contacts
The sophisticated operation suggests this was no amateur attempt, but a well-planned trafficking route that had allegedly worked twice before.
British Gran Already Awaiting Execution
The trio’s plight is made even more terrifying by the fate of another Briton already on Indonesia’s death row.
Lindsay Sandiford, now 69, has been waiting to face a firing squad for MORE THAN A DECADE after being caught with 3.8kg of cocaine stuffed in her suitcase lining at the same Bali airport in 2012.
Despite numerous appeals and international pressure, the British grandmother remains in her cell, a chilling reminder of Indonesia’s unwavering stance on drug crimes.
Paraded Like Trophies
In scenes that horrified their families back home, Collyer, Stocker and Float were handcuffed and paraded before Indonesian media – a common practice designed to humiliate drug suspects and deter others.
The images of the trio in orange prison uniforms, heads bowed in shame, have been splashed across Indonesian media as authorities celebrate their capture.
Court Drama Begins
The trial began on Tuesday at Denpasar District Court, where the three Britons sat stone-faced as charges were read out that could end their lives.
Key moments from the courtroom:
- Collyer and Stocker tried to hide their faces from cameras
- Float appeared resigned to his fate
- All three declined to comment to media
- Their lawyers remained tight-lipped
- The trial was adjourned until June 10 for witness testimony
Expert Warning: ‘Fairly Remote’ Chance
International criminal lawyer Anna Bradshaw delivered a stark assessment of their chances: “The prospect of a short sentence in such cases is fairly remote.
She added that the chance of early release or parole in Indonesia is “very different” to the UK system – meaning if they escape death, they face decades rotting in a foreign prison.
What Happens at an Execution
For those convicted of drug smuggling in Indonesia, the end comes at dawn:
- Prisoners are taken to a remote location
- They’re tied to posts facing the ocean
- A firing squad of 12 marksmen takes position
- Three rifles contain live rounds, the rest blanks
- A target is placed over the prisoner’s heart
- On command, they fire simultaneously
The brutality of this fate now hangs over the three Britons as their trial continues.
Families in Turmoil
Back in East Sussex, the families of the accused are living a nightmare. Sources close to the families report they are in “shock” and deeply worried about their loved ones’ safety in Indonesian custody.
The prospect of watching their children, partners or siblings face a firing squad has left them desperately seeking legal help and government intervention.
A Warning to All
Indonesia’s message is crystal clear: drug smuggling equals death.
As these three Britons discovered, no amount of clever concealment – not even hiding cocaine in innocent Angel Delight packets – will save you from Indonesia’s zero-tolerance approach.
Their case serves as a terrifying reminder to all travelers: in Indonesia, drug crimes don’t lead to rehabilitation or second chances. They lead to a post, a blindfold, and a firing squad at dawn.
As the trial continues and their families pray for a miracle, Jon Collyer, Lisa Stocker and Phineas Float must face the horrifying reality that their attempt to smuggle drugs hidden in children’s dessert powder could cost them their lives.
The Angel Delight that once brought joy to British childhoods has become their angel of death.
