Stephen John Sutton
Encyclopedia
Stephen John Sutton is an Australia
n man who was imprisoned in Argentina
. He was arrested on 4 February 2003 after a joint operation by the Australian Federal Police
and Argentine Police. He was charged with narcotics offences and was sentenced in 2005 to 11 years in jail for drug trafficking. He was released November 2008 . He was featured in the 13 July 2011 episode of "Locked Up Abroad" (titled as "Banged Up Abroad" in the UK).
Sutton was last seen by his family in Sydney
, Australia. At the time, he was living by himself and working in a Sydney factory. It is believed that he had met a Peruvian
woman at his place of employment. He contacted his sister by mail, informed her that he had travelled to Peru with the woman, was living with the family and that the family was treating him well.
Sutton and his family members maintain his innocence, as he claims that he was asked to courier "a quantity of gold" from Peru to Argentina. He also claims that when arrested, he had no drugs in his possession. The Sutton family is campaigning for his early release and improved support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT), who they maintain have provided inadequate health care and legal advice to Sutton and insufficient information to the family. They have also criticized the Australian Government for not making attempts to have him returned to Australia, comparing his case to that of Schapelle Corby
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n man who was imprisoned in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He was arrested on 4 February 2003 after a joint operation by the Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
and Argentine Police. He was charged with narcotics offences and was sentenced in 2005 to 11 years in jail for drug trafficking. He was released November 2008 . He was featured in the 13 July 2011 episode of "Locked Up Abroad" (titled as "Banged Up Abroad" in the UK).
Sutton was last seen by his family in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. At the time, he was living by himself and working in a Sydney factory. It is believed that he had met a Peruvian
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
woman at his place of employment. He contacted his sister by mail, informed her that he had travelled to Peru with the woman, was living with the family and that the family was treating him well.
Sutton and his family members maintain his innocence, as he claims that he was asked to courier "a quantity of gold" from Peru to Argentina. He also claims that when arrested, he had no drugs in his possession. The Sutton family is campaigning for his early release and improved support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
(DFAT), who they maintain have provided inadequate health care and legal advice to Sutton and insufficient information to the family. They have also criticized the Australian Government for not making attempts to have him returned to Australia, comparing his case to that of Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Corby
Schapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling who is imprisoned in Indonesia.Corby is serving a 20-year sentence for the importation of of cannabis into Bali, Indonesia...
.
External links
- Website maintained by Sutton's family
- Adelaide Independent Media Centre article, 2 November 2005 (URL accessed: 2 March 2006)