Cassie Sainsbury sentenced: ‘Cocaine Cassie’ gets six years jail, judge accepts plea deal

Adelaide drug mule Cassie Sainsbury has struck a deal with Colombian authorities that is set to have her home within three years.

Colombian authorities have accepted drug mule Cassie Sainsbury’s story of coercion and sentenced her to six-year in jail which means she could be back in Australia by mid-2020.

After a roller coaster ride, Sainsbury’s Colombian court ordeal ended in subdued officialdom, behind closed doors with a smiling lawyer and no immediate word from her family.

The 22-year-old Adelaide former personal trainer was caught with 5.9 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage at Bogota International airport in April.

Sainsbury faced a possible 30-year jail sentence if she had gone to trial after earlier attempts to reach a plea agreement collapsed in embarrassing disarray.

Cassandra "Cassie" Sainsbury, 22, is escorted by police to a court hearing in Bogota, Colombia, this morning.

The original six-year deal was agreed with prosecution and defence but ended when Sainsbury maintained she had been forced to carry the drugs or member of her family would be killed.

Sainsbury has stuck to her story but has been unable to produce evidence of the threats because she said she had forgotten details of her telephone password.

Sainsbury’s lawyer, Orlando Herran, said the new plea agreement, which is the same length as the original, reflected the claims of coercion.

“The sentence was given to her as a result she was not fully guilty but she did not go to authorities to ask for protection in her special case,” Mr Herran said outside the court after sentencing.

Sainsbury was sentenced to 72 months can be reduced for time served and good behaviour.

Australian police are reportedly investigating links between Australia and the smuggling syndicate.

No details were available on how much Sainsbury was able to assist with their inquiries.