Home / Crime and Justice / Death Penalty Looms for UK Man in Bali Drug Case
Death Penalty Looms for UK Man in Bali Drug Case
2 Dec, 2025
Summary
- British man Kial Robinson faces death penalty in Bali.
- He was arrested in September with 1,321 grams of cocaine.
- Robinson claims he was paid $5,000 in cryptocurrency for the delivery.
Kial Robinson, a 29-year-old man from Chichester, West Sussex, has appeared in a Denpasar court on serious drug smuggling charges. Prosecutors allege he was apprehended on September 3, 2025, at Bali International Airport with 1,321 grams of cocaine discovered in his backpack. The charges include drug trafficking, importation, and possession, which carry the potential for the death penalty under Indonesian law.
Robinson reportedly stated he was instructed to deliver the cocaine by an individual named Santos, with a promised payment of $5,000 in cryptocurrency. The funds for his flight from Barcelona to Bali and subsequent travel to Thailand were also provided. A second British national, 48-year-old Piran Ezra Wilkinson, also from Chichester, was arrested shortly after Robinson in connection with the same case.
During his court appearance, Robinson, who owns a landscape gardening business, appeared to show little concern, at one point smirking and making hand gestures. His lawyer has not raised objections to the indictment, and a full trial is scheduled for the following week to hear witness testimonies. Bali has a history of strict drug enforcement, although recent cases involving Britons have not resulted in the death penalty.
