An Australian man sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking was made to wait five years in prison between his two-day trial and sentencing, his Guangzhou-based lawyer has confirmed.
Key points:
- Karm Gilespie was arrested at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport in 2013
- China says the case has “nothing to do with the bilateral relationship”
- Gilespie is expected to lodge an appeal against his sentence in the coming days
Zou Jianhong said Karm Gilespie — a former actor and wealth adviser in his 50s — was tried over one and a half days with the first full-day hearing taking place in late 2014 and a second morning in court in early 2015.
The Australian’s lawyer said Gilespie pleaded not guilty to attempting to smuggle 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine out of Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport on New Year’s Eve 2013.
It has